An Ocean Between Us
by GentleRed
Summary: The Sequel to "When She Dance" in which Emma and Regina tackles Regina's unexpected news, long distance, evil exes, meddling parents and so much more. Will they make it through all the twists or is the ocean between them simply too much?
1. Chapter 1

"You're going where?!" Mary Margaret asked, and her green eyes completely widened in surprise.

"To Madrid," Emma said as she hastily gobbled down a cup of coffee and basically shoved the portion of oatmeal down her throat.

"Slow down, you'll end up choking," her mom admonished. "Exactly why are you going to Madrid?"

"Regina is..." the word 'pregnant' burned in Emma's mind, but she didn't say it. "In trouble," she landed on instead. "And she needs my help, okay?"

"I understand that, sweetie, but with what?" her mom pressed, green eyes widening again. "Is she in trouble with the law?!"

"No," Emma said quickly. "It's nothing like that at all."

"Is it money then? Because-"

"Mom, no!" Emma interrupted and her eyes narrowed. "She's not some gold digger who's-"

"I never said that," her mother calmly interrupted. "I was actually going to say that if that was the case, of course your father and I would help in any way we could."

"Oh," Emma said sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," her mom said graciously. "What is going on in Madrid?"

"I can't tell you right now," Emma said plainly. "Just know that it's nothing to do with the law, and it's nothing to do with money either." At least not directly. "Regina is going through some stuff right now, and I need to be with her. That's all I can tell you right now, mom, and I'm sorry for being cryptic, but please just trust me, okay?"

Mary Margaret smiled as she came over and planted a kiss on Emma's forehead. "I always do, sweetie. You know that. Do what you need to do, and give Regina my love, okay?"

"I will," Emma smiled. "Thanks, mom. You're the best."

"Indeed," Mary Margaret chuckled. "Now hurry up. I think it's wise to be in the airport two hours early."

In response, Emma hastily gobbled down the rest of her coffee and then glanced towards the staircase. Her dad was still peacefully asleep upstairs.

"Don't worry about your father," Mary Margaret said. "I'll tell him that you had to leave."

"Have I ever told you that you're awesome?" Emma asked as she gave her mom a tight hug.

"Well, I'm certainly counting on you to put me in the very best and most expensive nursing home when I grow old," her mom quipped.

Emma laughed. "See you, mom. I don't know exactly when I'll come home, but I'll call you as soon as I know a bit more, okay?"

"That is perfectly fine, sweetie. And don't worry about your car. Your father and I will pick it up later today. It won't be towed off while you're in Spain."

Emma laughed again. Then hugged her mom once more, said goodbye. She then grabbed her hastily packed suitcase and left her childhood home to go to Madrid for the second time in a very short duration. Last time, she was running away. Now she was running towards something. Someone.

"You what?!" Ruby screeched in the other end once she was done complaining over Emma had awakened her from her slumber.

"I'm going to Madrid," Emma repeated, eyes fixated on the road. Her phone was on speaker and lying on the passenger's seat, so she was completely free to focus on driving.

"Seriously?" Ruby said disbelievingly in the other end. "Look, Swan, I know you're lovesick and want to be with her, but-"

"You're right, I do, but it's not that. Regina is... in trouble," Emma said halfheartedly. She so wanted to tell Ruby what was going on, she was her friend, they told each other everything, but at the same time, Emma didn't want to tell her something Regina had told the blonde in confidence.

"Why?" Ruby asked. "What's going on?"

"I can't tell you," Emma said. "I'm sorry, Rubes, but it's pretty personal."

"Okay," Ruby said. "But she's okay though, right?"

"Yeah," Emma said even though that wasn't completely true. "She's fine."

"Good. When do you think you'll be back again?"

"I'm not sure," Emma replied. "I haven't really planned anything apart from booking the plane ticket."

"You haven't booked a hotel room?"

"Nope. I'm hoping I can stay at Regina's."

"Does she... know you're coming?" Ruby asked, because she knew Emma's impulsive side.

"She does," Emma confirmed. But would Regina also be happy to see her? She had specifically asked Emma NOT to come. Maybe she didn't even want to see Emma. Maybe she wasn't emotionally in a place where there was room for Emma.

"Em?" Ruby said.

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm here. What did you say?"

"I just asked if you were okay," Ruby repeated. "To be honest, you sound a bit out of it."

"I'm fine. But I'm a bit worried about Regina right now." that was definitely an understatement. Emma was so fucking worried about Regina right now! She had sounded completely distraught in the phone, and Emma could easily imagine how confused and scared the younger woman was right now.

"I'm sure your presence will make everything better," Ruby said.

Emma chuckled slightly. "Let's hope so, Rubes. Let's hope so."

"I'm really glad she called you," Ruby said. "I know how much you like her."

"Yeah," Emma murmured while silently thinking to herself that "like" was starting to feel like an understatement.

"Anyway, I wish you a good trip, Em," the waitress continued. "Text me as soon as you've landed, and call me when you can, okay?"

"Ruby Lucas, I don't deserve your friendship," Emma declared. Maybe it was a tad much, but Emma had been flying around, packing her stuff, and she was worried about Regina.

"Of course you don't," Ruby grinned. "I'm just using you until someone better turns up."

"You are terrible," Emma laughed.

"I know."

"Are you gonna work on the Belle situation while I'm gone?" Emma inquired.

"I...I...I might," Ruby said halfheartedly.

"Do it," Emma half ordered. "Seeing you sigh after her is heart wrenching."

"Noted."

"Do something about, Rubes," Emma said, voice gentler now.

"I'll try," Ruby murmured.

"That's all I'm asking," Emma said. "You won't lose her, Rubes."

"Do you promise?" Ruby asked and sounded insecure suddenly. That was a rarity for her.

"Yes," Emma said plainly. She just knew that Belle was feeling the same. She wasn't being presumptuous, but she could literally see how Belle's eyes lit up every time Ruby entered a room. How she snuck glances at the waitress every time she looked away. They were idiots in love. Anyone could see that. Well, except for themselves.

After a couple of minutes, Emma ended her phone call with Ruby and gripped the wheel a bit tighter. Worry was flooding her system. What was Regina doing right now? Was she okay? Was she working? Was she even in a state where she could work? What if she was completely freaking out? God, Emma cursed the distance between them, and she was completely satisfied with her sponanious decision about going to Spain. It felt like it was the only thing she could do right now. She had to be physically near Regina and support her in this.

She was exhausted when she made it to Boston Airport, but she didn't care one bit about that. Nor did she care about the way she stumbled out of her car, dragging her suitcase and bag with her. She felt ever so slightly dazed as she walked inside the airport. It felt like deja-vu. Emma could almost see herself stumble into the airport with her suitcase. At the time, when she was heading out on her "solo honeymoon", she had been completely numb because of the shock. Because Neal had bailed on her the day before the wedding. She was numb with shock this time as well. But for a very different reason. Regina was pregnant. Probably. But most likely. Emma honestly couldn't wrap her head around it. Regina was pregnant. And if Emma was struggling to believe it, it had to be a million times worse for Regina. The way she had sounded on the phone was haunting Emma still, and the blonde felt like some sort of machine as she checked in her suitcase. Once that was done, she found an empty bench and sat down. It wasn't very comfortable, but at least she could lean her head back and rest a bit if that was what she wanted. But it didn't look like that was gonna happen anytime soon. Emma's head was full of thoughts, and every so often, the word 'pregnant' popped up in her head. God, Regina was pregnant! Emma didn't really believe that taking a second test would give a different result, because coming to think about it, there had been signs, hadn't there? Regina had been complaining over being tired but had chalked it up to working too hard and dancing too much. And Emma had thought the same, but in hindsight, she could see that being that fatigued was a bit extreme for someone so young. And not to mention, the past week, Regina had been mentioning that her stomach "was a bit upset". Emma wanted to smack herself. The signs had been there, and she hadn't seen them at all. But then again, how could she possibly? Regina being pregnant wasn't exactly something she had expected would happen. She felt a faint, yet sharp pain flare up somewhere low in her belly. Regina was pregnant, and Emma was well aware that that changed everything for the young brunette, and now the blonde couldn't help but to selfishly think about what it would mean for them. Her feelings for Regina hadn't changed. During the drive to Boston Airport, Emma had checked herself and discovered that her feelings for the young brunette remained unchanged. She was still exactly as in love with Regina as she had been when she left her in Madrid, and her gut feeling told her that Regina's feelings for her hadn't changed either. But Emma also knew that this complicated things. Regina probably felt so fucking confused and scared and lost right now. There was no way of telling what her plans was. If she had made any plans for the future. Did she want to keep the baby? Or did she want to terminate the pregnancy? Emma didn't know. But she knew that she was going to support Regina no matter what she chose to do. It was her life and her body.

Emma suddenly remembered that she had promised her mom to call her when she got to the airport. It would probably be best to take care of that asap.

She found her phone in her bag and called her mom. It didn't take long before her mom answered.

"Hey, I'm in the airport now," Emma told her.

"Okay, sweetie," her mom said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sleepy," Emma admitted. "But eager to get to Madrid."

"I understand that. I just wish you would tell what's going on," Mary Margaret gently chided.

"Mom, I can't," Emma said. "It's not... It's not really my thing to tell, okay?"

"Is Regina safe?" her mom asked plainly.

"Yes," Emma said immediately. "She's safe."

"I worry about her," Mary Margaret said softly. "I know I don't know her, but it feels like I do. Through you."

"You'd like her, mom," Emma said and could feel how she was starting to gush over Regina. "She's like... the sweetest person I've ever met."

"Yes, she really must be if you're prepared to drop everything and go to Madrid because of some secret emergency."

"Mom."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mary Margaret amended. "You can't tell me right now. I understand and respect that."

"Thank you. Have you told dad?"

"I have," her mom confirmed. "And he was a bit surprised, to be honest. Have you called Ruby?"

"Yeah, and she was pretty surprised too, but she wished me a good trip."

"Did you remember your camera?"

"I did actually," Emma said. She still felt a bit surprised about that. That she had been capable of remembering her camera.

"That's good. You can take some more pictures while you're there."

"Yeah," Emma said. But she doubted that she would get the opportunity to play tourist this time. There was sort of more important things now.

"Okay, sweetie. I'm glad to hear that you've made it safely to the airport, but I think I'll take a nap now, if you don't mind?" Mary Margaret said and appeared to be suffocating a yawn.

"Yeah, of course," Emma said quickly. "I'm sorry for waking you earlier."

"It doesn't matter," Mary Margaret insisted. "You'll text me when you arrive in Madrid?"

"Of course I will. Tell dad I said hi."

"I'll do that. Try and get some sleep in the airport if you can."

"I'll do my best," Emma promised. "Bye, mom."

"Bye, sweetie. Have a good flight."

"Thank you. Sleep well," Emma chuckled. Then she ended the call and looked around. She knew that she wasn't gonna get any sleep while she was waiting for her flight. She was much to concerned about Regina to even think about sleep.

She did her best to make herself comfortable on the bench and pulled her leather jacket a little tighter around herself. Her thoughts kept whirling around in her mind, and following an impulse, she dialed Regina's number and brought the phone up to her ear. There was no answer. Emma hoped that it was because Regina was taking a nap and not avoiding her on purpose. After the cheerful greeting on the voicemail, Emma left a message: 'hey it's me, I just wanted to say that I'm in the airport now. I'm coming to Madrid whether you like it or not. I know you're freaking out right now, _querida, _but please don't shut me out, okay? I want to help you, and I can't wait to see you and give you a big hug. I'll text you when I arrive in Madrid. Bye.'

Emma slid the phone back in her pocket and shook her head as though to really fully wrap her head around the new situation. But she couldn't. God, Regina was pregnant! P-r-e-g-n-a-n-t. She had been pregnant all this time. Pregnant when Emma had seen her dance for the first time. Pregnant when they had been to the fairytale garden. Pregnant while swimming and splashing around in the pool. She had been pregnant when they had kissed each other for the first time. She had been pregnant when they had sex. For some reason Emma couldn't quite wrap her head around that, and she didn't completely understand why, but she knew that she suddenly freaked out about what she and Regina had done in bed. Not because she regretted it, god no, but because of the changed circumstances. Had she been too rough with Regina? Had she accidentally done something that potentially could damage...

Emma shook her head. Okay, she was freaking out. She had to calm down before arriving in Madrid. She couldn't freak out like this when seeing Regina. Regina was probably freaking out plenty as it was. Emma had to be the one who kept a cool head. She had to. For Regina's sake. Pain flared up in Emma's chest as she once again thought about how distraught Regina had sounded in the phone, and how she barely had been able to say the word "pregnant". Emma wanted nothing more than to just wrap her arms tightly around the young brunette and assure her that everything would be okay. That they would figure something out. That Regina wouldn't be going through this alone. Emma would be right there by her side. What had started as a fun holiday fling, was now so much more. Emma had fallen so deeply in love with Regina, and this... didn't change anything for the blonde. Her feelings for Regina hadn't changed at all.

Two hours later, a very dazed Emma Swan could stand from the uncomfortable bench-thingy and walk to the gate. She was dazed, worried and her ass had fallen spectacularly asleep because of how long she had been sitting down. She did her best to pull herself together as she stood in line with the rest of the passengers. The flight attendant was both quick and effective as she checked the passenger's boarding pass and then smilingly send them along with a "have a nice trip!". Soon it became Emma's turn, and the blonde felt as though she was asleep with her eyes open as she showed off her passport and boarding pass.

"That looks alright," the flight attendant smiled. "Have a nice trip!"

"Thank you," Emma said and fidgeted to stick her boarding pass back in her pocket as she briskly walked through the long hallway that would lead her to the plane. Her heart was thrumming in her chest now. Too loudly. Emma was ninety nine percent sure she could actually hear it. And even more so when she spotted another flight attendant who was standing by the little steps that lead into the plane itself. Emma felt tempted to curse when she realized that she probably shouldn't have put her boarding pass away. She didn't stop to find it but almost tripped because of the way she was fidgeting to find it. In the end, she managed, and she flashed the flight attendant a toothpaste smile as she showed off the slightly crinkled boarding pass.

"Welcome aboard," he smiled.

"Thank you!" maybe she sounded a tad to over the top, but she couldn't help it. She was literally so fucking grateful for boarding this plane.

She found her seat and her head was positively spinning as she plopped down on it, and she was clumsier than usually as she buckled her seatbelt. Then she leaned back, closed her eyes and waited as the plane slowly filled up. Someone sat down next to her. Emma didn't open her eyes to see who. She didn't care right now. As long as it was someone who didn't insist upon talking. She felt a little guilty for sitting with her eyes closed instead of paying attention to the security instructions, but right now, Emma's main focus was to get her heart rate under control. She was on edge. Supposed Regina didn't want to see her? The blonde scoffed. That was absolute bull. Emma completely understood what Regina was trying to do. Distance herself. Do "the right thing". She had probably gotten the idea that because she was pregnant, she and Emma couldn't move forward and let things between them blossom like they had agreed on doing. That was complete and utter bullshit. The fact that Regina was pregnant didn't change shit for Emma. She was still as interested in Regina as she had been twenty four hours ago. And she was willing to stand by Regina so they could figure this out together. If Regina would let her.

"...We wish you all a pleasant flight!"

Emma opened her eyes as the flight attendants concluded the security instructions. It didn't take long before the plane began moving, and even though they weren't in the air yet, Emma felt a pulling sensation somewhere behind her navel. She leaned forward and looked out of the window. The plane moved faster and faster, and after a moment, Emma's ears plugged, and her stomach jumped as the plane levitated off the ground. The blonde's heart began thrumming in her chest again. Now she was really on her way to Madrid. It was strange that it had only been a week since she came home. It felt as though it had been a life time. But now she was on her way to Madrid again. On her way to see Regina.

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

Eleven hours and forty five minutes later, a very ruffled and not to mention incredibly tired Emma Swan stepped out of the plane. In a daze, she waited for her luggage, and for some reason, the sight of the luggage rolling around on baggage carousel was deeply unsettling. Emma felt even more sleep deprived and dizzy from watching the luggage being transported around on that crazy merry-go-round. But fortunately enough, she soon spotted her suitcase. The blonde lashed out like a hunting lion and snatched the suitcase. Then she turned around and walked out of the airport.

She blinked as she stepped out and breathed in the Spanish air once again. It was twilight, barely dark yet, and for a second Emma felt completely disorientated as she looked around in the busy street. She took a breath. Now she had to think and keep her head on. Find a taxi. That was step one. Step two was finding Regina. Quickly.

Emma had some sort of rare, freakish luck today, because it didn't take long before she managed to hail a cab. The driver helped her with stuffing her suitcase inside the trunk and then he said too many words in Spanish. Emma didn't fully understand what he was saying, but she guessed he was asking her where she would like to go, so she quickly gave him Regina's address followed by a: "_de prisa por favor_."

"_Sí, señorita_," he said and dropped the "funny" attitude. He could clearly sense that Emma wasn't up for joking right now.

He started the car, and as she was taken away from the airport, Emma leaned back in the seat. She fought the urge to close her eyes and instead she found her phone in her pocket. It was what, ten at night here in Madrid? Then it was three in Storybrooke, right? Right now, Emma wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything. So, she settled for sending her mom a text to let her know that she had arrived in Madrid just fine. She also sent a text to Ruby. Then she tapped in Regina's number and brought the phone up to her ear. Dialing tone. Regina's cheerful voice greeting her on the voicemail, and then that damned 'beep!'

"Hey, it's me again," Emma said and cleared her throat. Her voice sounded a bit thick due to lack of sleep and everything else. "I'm in Madrid now. Actually, I'm on my way to your apartment as I'm speaking. I really hope you're not avoiding me on purpose, Regina. Don't shut me out, please? I wanna help. Anyway, I should be at your apartment in about twenty minutes or so. I…." she swallowed something. I really hope you're going to open the door for me, because I didn't book a hotel or anything, and I'm not too keen on sleeping rough. _Te veré pronto_." She concluded the message and desperately hoped that Regina had gone to bed early and wasn't ignoring her on purpose. She wanted to help Regina, but she couldn't do that if Regina ignored her.

Twenty one minutes later, she arrived at Puerta Del Sol. She thanked the cab driver, paid him and then headed over to the building where Regina lived. She hopefully yanked at the door, and to no surprise, it didn't work, but she smiled sweetly at an elderly lady who was on her way inside the building. The elderly lady said something in Spanish, and Emma shook her head slightly as she said: "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Do you know someone in this building?" the elderly woman asked with a heavy accent.

"Oh. _Si_," Emma said. "Regina. Regina Mills."

"Ahh," the elderly woman smiled now. "Such a sweet girl. Come, come." She held the door open for Emma."

"_Gracías,_" Emma said gratefully. She slipped inside the building and squared her shoulders as she prepared herself to brave the stairs. There was a sign on the elevator that indicated it was out of order, and Emma took a deep breath as she began walking up the stairs with her suitcase. All the way up the third floor. Great. She wasn't as much in shape as she had been before going on her solo honeymoon. Her figure wasn't exactly what she had focused most on whilst being on "holiday" in Madrid, and she could feel it now as she braved the stairs. She reminded herself to start exercising once she got home from Madrid. The suitcase bumped against a step, and Emma cursed as she stumbled and nearly tripped. She had to grip tightly onto the railing not to fall. Taking a spectacular tumble down the stairs and breaking her leg was not exactly on her to do list today.

As she made it to the second floor, she could feel her phone vibrate in her pocket. She reckoned it was probably Ruby answering her. It was hardly Mary Margaret at this time. She wasn't a night owl. But Ruby definitely was. Much to her grandmother's dismay. Ruby had some...trouble with getting up in time for her early shifts.

Emma wiped her brow and cursed quietly under her breath as she continued the quest up the stairs. Why didn't the darn elevator work when she needed it to? Why didn't it work when Emma dragged a suitcase behind her? Emma's overtired brain suddenly worried about how long the elevator was out of order. Regina was pregnant. She shouldn't be walking up and down the stairs like that.

"_Perdóneme_," the blonde said as a man walked past her up the stairs. Compared to her, he was walking embarrassingly quickly. Seriously, Emma had to work on getting in shape when she got home. She had definitely been slacking. And eating too much tapas. But hey, now she was almost there. Her heart thrummed in her chest and it had nothing to do with the stairs, but everything to do with the fact that she was going to see Regina. If she would open the door for Emma, that was. God, Emma hoped she would!

Emma finally made it to the third floor and the blue door that held a little white sticker with Regina's name.

The blonde took another deep breath- again, nothing to do with the staircase- and then she knocked on the blue door. It sounded way too loud in the quiet building. And there was absolutely no response from inside the apartment either. Was Regina asleep? Emma considered if she should send the brunette a quick text to let her know she was here. She gently knocked on the door one more time. Still no answer. Maybe Regina was asleep. Pregnant women slept a lot.

Still, Emma tried one more time. Knock-knock-knock.

No answer.

"R'gina?" Emma called quietly. "You in there?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except for... the guy who had passed Emma on the staircase, poked his head out of his own apartment and told her: "she is not home."

"Oh," Emma said. "Any chance you know where she is?"

"Dancing," the guy told her. "At _El Callejon_."

"Great. Thank you so much," Emma said, quickly grabbing her suitcase and turning around to head back down the stairs.

"No problem," the guy called after her.

Emma promptly ran back down the stairs and ignored the fact that she was feeling out of breath. Getting back down the stairs went much, much swifter, and soon she was out on the street again. She did a quick search, and it turned out that _El Callejon _was a six minute walk from here. Perfect. Emma mostly kept her eyes on her phone to ensure that she was walking the right way. If she walked into someone...well, she didn't notice. And no one cursed at her as she hurried down the street in her mad search for Regina. Was she really dancing this late? Instead of sleeping? She had sounded so tired and drained over the phone. Emma was worried about her. She couldn't keep pushing herself like this. What if she fainted from sheer exhaustion? Was she eating enough? Drinking enough? Was she even taking care of herself like she should? God, the questions were piling up in Emma's mind. But the dominating thought she had was how much she yearned to take Regina in her arms. Hold her tight and assure her that everything would be okay. That Emma wasn't planning on going anywhere. That she would support Regina no matter what. Emma hurried along down the street. She was sweating. She had been in Madrid for five minutes, it wasn't even daytime, and she was sweating. To be completely honest, she felt pretty disgusting. She had just spent eleven hours in a plane. She hadn't slept at all because she was worried. Instead she had loaded herself up on caffeine. Her heart was hammering away in her pulse, and Emma felt completely high on adrenaline. Hell, she wasn't sure she had even properly landed yet.

But she soon found her destination. _El Callejon_. Which turned out to be...surprise, a flamenco bar. A fucking packed flamenco bar. Emma had to elbow her way to even get inside the damn place. She could barely see past all the people filling up the place, but she could certainly hear that the show had already started. It had probably been going on for a while. The well known flamenco music was playing loudly, and Emma couldn't hear herself think. She cursed quietly under her breath. For someone who was as horribly jetlagged as she was, this was hellish. Madness. But she had to find Regina. That was the thought that dominated everything else. She would just have to feel jetlagged later.

"Pardon me," she said tightly to an elderly man who clearly didn't know how to stand aside. Or maybe he did. Maybe Emma's patience was simply wearing thin. That wasn't impossible. Her head was fucking floating. She hadn't landed. She definitely hadn't landed. She didn't really feel grounded. Emma suffocated a sigh and forced her lips to curve up in an apologetic smile when she nearly ran into a waitress. Maybe it wasn't the other people who couldn't stand aside. Maybe it was Emma who nearly ran into other people because her coordination was fucked up. She had been in the air for eleven hours. She was tired, confused and worried. She was allowed to have an off day when it came to coordination, she decided.

"Excuse me," she said again. She was speaking English. Woops. She was supposed to speak Spanish right now. But she was too tired to remember how one said excuse me in Spanish. And she couldn't bring herself to think too long and hard about it. That simply required too much right now. And there was only one thing she could focus on. Regina. Finding Regina. Making sure Regina was okay. Making sure that Regina wanted to see her. God, what if she didn't? Emma's stomach tightened some as she narrowly avoided ending up with someone's drink spilled all over her. What if Regina actually didn't want to see her? Emma had come all this way...

The blonde swallowed something and tried her best to navigate with her suitcase and bag and all through the crowded room. If someone had told her she would be in Madrid twenty four hours ago, Emma simply wouldn't have believed them. And now she worried that her spontaneous decision about going to Spain had been a tad too spontaneous. Supposed she had come to Spain to find a girl who didn't want to see her? That... would be awful. That couldn't happen. Emma decided right then and there that she wouldn't give up until she had talked to Regina. Period. She had told Regina that she would be by her side no matter what, and she was intending to keep that promise. Come hell or high water.

"Pardon me," she said for the millionth time that evening and she put on a smile as she rejected a guy's offer about dancing. If there was something Emma wasn't in the mood for, it was dancing. Just the thought made her want to keel over and die. Just a little bit. Or maybe take a quick nap here in the middle of this crowded bar. That wouldn't be too bad.

She pushed past a few more people and then finally... she found the person she was looking for. Emma stopped abruptly. Regina was on stage. She was wearing her red flamenco dress with the ruffled skirt, a rose had been fastened in her dark hair which was hanging loose tonight, and she was dancing as though her life was depending on it. She looked exactly as stunning as Emma remembered her, with dark eye makeup and that had been painted as red as blood for the occasion. And each dance move was polished and practiced and perfect. Each time she spun around on stage, left Emma breathless because my god, she looked beautiful!

But... as well rehearsed and perfect as her dance was, Emma couldn't see that usual joy in her eyes. In fact she couldn't see anything in Regina's dark eyes. They were...dead. Lifeless. There were deep dark circles underneath her eyes, and she looked paler somehow. Fragile. Like she should be curled up in bed and not dancing the night away in this flamenco bar.

Emma discreetly stepped behind a taller, bulky guy. Regina hadn't seen her, and Emma didn't want her to either. Not yet. She wasn't sure how Regina would feel about seeing her again, and Emma didn't want to do anything that could possibly disrupt Regina's dance routine. So she discreetly watched without letting her presence be known by Regina. And while she did so, she scanned the bar for "uninvited guests". Meaning Marian. Marian being here tonight was probably the last thing Regina needed right now, and should Marian be shitty enough to be here, Emma wouldn't be above throwing her out of here. But fortunately enough, she couldn't see Marian anywhere tonight. Good!

And Regina kept dancing and dancing. Her feet stomping against the ground, and Emma took a moment to let it fully sink in. How much she had missed Regina. How much she hoped that Regina would allow her to hold her. If there was anything Emma yearned for right now, it was a Regina-hug. A Regina-kiss. And perhaps several. But most of all, she wanted to beg Regina to get some sleep. She doubted that the young brunette had been sleeping at all since finding out she was pregnant. And Emma could understand that, but she also knew that Regina needed her sleep. So that was exactly what Emma was planning to ask Regina. To sleep. Everything else could wait until tomorrow. The blonde bit her lip as she watched Regina spin around on stage. Seriously, it looked like Regina could pass out from exhaustion at any given moment. Emma shifted nervously behind the massive guy.

Regina picked up her skirt, and the crowd cheered for her like they always did. But she didn't seem to notice it. Yes, she might be dancing on this stage physically, but emotionally, she looked like she was miles away. Light years. Something tightened in Emma's chest as she looked at Regina. Despite the heavy makeup she was wearing tonight, she looked several years younger than what she was. Young and afraid. Afraid of the future. Afraid of the here and now. Emma was almost itching to talk to Regina. To assure her that everything would be alright. No matter what, she wasn't alone.

The dance seemed to go on for ages, and Emma was starting to struggle to remain in an upright position when Regina suddenly concluded the dance with a confident: "_Olé!_"

The audience instantly went mad and started to whoop and cheer for _La Reina_. There were the usual declarations of love, the usual sweet smile from Regina as she jokingly curtsied for her audience, thanked her guitar playing duo and then disappeared out through the backdoor.

Emma immediately felt wide awake. And determined as ever as she developed elbows of steel and forcefully pushed her way through the crowd. People were various stages of drunk, and twice, Emma had to fend off someone who was trying to "court her". In the clumsiest way possible. Emma was definitely not impressed. There was only one person she wanted to be courted by. And that person had just disappeared backstage.

Emma opened the same door Regina had just disappeared through and slinked in, suitcase and all. She closed the door, and the sound from the busy bar was immediately muffled. Thank god. Emma wasn't sure how much more noise her head could take tonight. In the hallway, it was only her footsteps that made a slight noise. And of course her suitcase as she dragged it across the uneven tiles. She made sure not to make too much noise as she made it down the little hallway. She stopped when she reached another door. The door that lead into Regina's "dressing room". Emma squared her shoulders. Licked her lips. She felt nervous now. What if Regina literally had meant what she said in the phone? That she didn't want Emma to come to Madrid?

In that case, Emma had just messed up spectacularly. But there was nothing she could do about that. The urge to be near Regina and support her weighed heavier than the fear of messing up. That was just how things were. Period. Emma glanced at the door. To knock or not to knock. She could have debated that for ages. And she did. Until she noticed that the door in fact wasn't completely closed. It was ever so slightly ajar. Oh. Right. That certainly made things easier for Emma. She took another deep breath, licked her lips slightly. Tried to mask how nervous she was. Hoped to hell she wouldn't be asked to leave the moment Regina saw her. Fuck, that couldn't happen! She gently pushed the door open and slipped inside the dressing room.

What she found broke her heart a little bit. Regina was sitting at the vanity with her head resting on her forearms. She hadn't changed out of the flamenco dress. For a terrible moment, Emma thought she was crying, but then she became aware of Regina's slow, deep breathing, and she realized that Regina had in fact fallen asleep in front of the mirror. Good god, she couldn't go on like this! She had to rest! As Emma looked at the sleeping young brunette, she silently acknowledged that taking that second pregnancy test probably wasn't necessary.

Emma quietly sat the suitcase down on the floor and just as quietly walked over to Regina. It broke her heart to wake her, but Regina couldn't very well sleep here. She needed to lie down. In a bed. Emma reached out and gently put a hand on Regina's shoulder.

"_Que_?!" Regina's head shot up and she looked around in bewilderment. "_¿Que esta pasando?_"

"Hey, beautiful girl," Emma said softly.

For a split second, Regina looked as though she didn't believe her eyes. She blinked, and now Emma could really see those deep, dark circles underneath her beautiful eyes. "Em...Emma?" she said quietly.

"Yeah," Emma confirmed. "You asked me not to come and I didn't listen, so...Ta-dah. Here I am. Surprise."

"_¿Estás realmente aquí?_" Regina whispered.

"I'm...not sure what that means," Emma admitted. "But here I am. And I'm not too keen on going all the way back to Maine, so I hope you won't ask me to leave."

Regina just gaped at her.

"I don't wanna leave you, beautiful girl," Emma said tenderly. "I...I can't. You mean too much to me. I wanna help you. I wanna be there for you. I know that things are pretty-"

Regina interrupted her by standing up so fast the chair she had been sitting on was knocked over with a bang. But Regina didn't care about that. She pretty much catapulted herself at Emma. The blonde stumbled slightly in sheer surprise, but she quickly recovered and wrapped her arms tightly around Regina.

"You came..." Regina whispered.

"Indeed," Emma said.

"Even though everything is c-changed," Regina stuttered, and now her voice trembled as it had done over the phone.

"Yep." Emma said simply. "Even then. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Terribly nauseous. Scared. Confused."

"Will you give me the pleasure of letting me escorting you home, _señorita_ _Mills_?" Emma asked, lightly quipping.

Regina chuckled wetly. "_Si_. I'd like that very much. I just need to change out of this dress."

"Of course," Emma said, gently releasing her grip on Regina.

Regina walked over to the screen her every day clothing was slung over. She seemed to consider it for a second, and then she almost shyly asked Emma. "Unlace me?"

"Of course," Emma said. "Turn around, beautiful girl."

Regina did as instructed and Emma promptly began the "task" of unlacing the strings in Regina's flamenco dress.

"_Gracias_," Regina said softly.

"You're welcome," Emma replied, and then observed: "you seem surprised to see me. Didn't you get my messages?"

"No," Regina said. "I switched my phone off. My mother kept calling me. She knows that something is going on, and she's not one for giving up until she finds out what it is."

"Oh." Emma felt relieved. It wasn't because of her Regina hadn't replied.

"I'm sorry though," Regina said and sounded ashamed now. "And I'm sorry for hanging up on you like that. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay," the blonde said gently.

"It is not," Regina said firmly.

"Regina, it's fine," Emma insisted. "You felt overwhelmed. I totally get that."

Regina chuckled meekly. "I think 'overwhelmed' is the understatement of the century."

"Yeah," Emma said simply and concluded the unlacing process with a: "there we go. All done."

"_Gracias_," Regina repeated softly.

"You're welcome, beautiful girl," Emma said, and instinctively she bowed her head and planted a light kiss on Regina's naked shoulder.

"Oh!" Regina exclaimed and sounded very surprised at the gesture.

"I'm sorry," Emma amended. "Should I not have done that?"

"No. I mean yes! I...I wasn't sure you'd want to do that now that I'm..." Regina cringed, clearly unable to get the word "pregnant" out. "Now that things are like...this." she unceremoniously slipped the flamenco dress off.

"Regina, my feelings for you haven't changed," Emma said softly. "Definitely not. You are still the same girl I fell head over heels in love with."

Regina's chin wobbled slightly as she flashed Emma a little smile. She reached for her Rick James t-shirt, and as she did so, Emma couldn't help but glancing at the brunette's stomach. Which was silly because of course there was no physical evidence yet. And she also noticed that Regina was in a hurry to pull the t-shirt over her head and hide her flat stomach. Next, she reached for her denim skirt, quickly stepped into it, zipping it and then flattening the fabric around her hips. She stepped into her shoes and looked utterly relived while doing so. Flamenco shoes were not comfortable. Finally, she grabbed her ragged denim jacket, shrugged it on and declared that she was ready to go now.

"Great. Then lets do it," Emma said and extended a hand out towards Regina.

Regina appeared to be hesitating just a little bit before taking Emma's hand.

Emma interlaced their fingers more tightly as to erase any doubt from Regina's mind. Then they left the dressing room together and Emma clung to Regina's hand with one hand and to her suitcase with the other.

Soon they made it out of the crowded bar. Once out on the street Emma sheepishly declared that she hadn't booked a hotel room.

"Is there any chance I can... y'know... crash at your place?"

"Certainly," Regina nodded. "But I haven't cleaned it at all for the past two days. It looks very, very messy."

"Well, I'm not the tidiest person in the world, so I probably won't notice," Emma chuckled.

"Or maybe you will," Regina said, chuckling herself.

"We'll see," Emma said with a slight grin.

They walked down the street to get to Regina's apartment, and as they crossed the street, they passed a heavily pregnant woman. Emma could immediately see how Regina cringed and ducked her head, clearly trying to make herself seem smaller in some way. Emma gave her hand a little squeeze and wished there was some sort of magical words she could say to make everything better.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations= de prisa, por favor= hurry, please.

Te veré pronto= I'll see you soon

¿Que esta pasando?= What's going on?

¿Estás realmente aquí?= are you really here?


	3. Chapter 3

By the time they reached Regina's apartment, Regina looked like she was on the verge of falling asleep again. Still, she offered: "would you like some coffee or something? Some food?"

"No, thank you," Emma said with a soft smile.

"You're sure? I could make you some-" that was all Regina managed to get out before swaying slightly and having to put a hand on the wall to support herself. "Woops."

"You need to lie down," Emma said and tried to be as firm as she could. "You need to sleep."

Regina didn't reject that but still raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had... things you wanted to ask me." she fidgeted slightly.

"I have some things I'd like to talk about, yeah," Emma said softly. "But I think we're pretty tired right now and could do with some rest, don't you?"

"_Si_. I'm...sorry about the mess," Regina said sheepishly as she looked around in the apartment.

"It's not that bad," Emma lied. To be perfectly honest, it looked like a bomb had fallen in Regina's apartment. Emma had never seen Regina's apartment so messy. There were clothes lying everywhere, and Emma could count four ashtrays standing here and there. All of them filled to the brim with ash. Regina had clearly been compulsively smoking for the past three days. Actually, judging by the look of it, it would appear that she hadn't been doing much else than smoking, really.

"It's sweet of you to lie," Regina said meekly. "But I know this place looks terrible."

Emma chuckled slightly. "How about we change into sleepwear and try to get some rest? Then we can talk tomorrow when we feel a bit more... up for it."

"I'll never feel up for it," Regina whispered quietly and tiredly rubbed a hand over her face. "I need a cigarette."

Emma opened her mouth, on the verge to tell Regina that that probably wouldn't be such a good idea, but she refrained from doing so.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Regina asked.

"No, thank you. I had coffee and food on the plane," Emma told her. "I don't need anything. Well, except for maybe a nap. It was a long trip."

"One I can't believe that you took," Regina murmured.

Emma went over to her and pecked her cheek. "It didn't feel right to stay home."

"I'm glad you're here," Regina said softly and cupped a hand over her mouth as she yawned.

"Sleep?" Emma suggested.

"_Si_," Regina nodded. "I'll just...change into something more appropriate."

"Good idea. Should I just leave my suitcase here or-"

"Bring it into the bedroom," Regina calmly finished the sentence. "I'm not planning on asking you to sleep on the couch. Unless that's what you want of course."

"The bed works just fine for me," Emma assured her and smiled slightly as she followed the younger woman into the bedroom. The faint smell of apples immediately greeted her. Regina must have burned one of those scented candles she so favored. Most likely to drown the smell of cigarette smoke.

Emma looked around in the bedroom with the purple walls and "vintage" bed with the iron headboard. She immediately felt at home here in this bedroom, and she had missed it. Had missed the smell of apples and the dark purple walls Regina had painted herself when she moved in. According to her, she had almost painted herself as purple as the walls, and Emma remembered that she had teased the younger woman about it. And then complained that she hadn't been around to help Regina with scrubbing the paint off her body.

A slight creaking sound interrupted Emma's train of thoughts, and she watched as Regina opened the closet, debated for a second and then found a little top and a pair of matching cream colored shorts. She hastily changed out of her clothes and into the sleepwear, mumbled that she was going to brush her teeth and then disappeared out of the bedroom.

Emma opened her suitcase and found her pajamas. A pajamas. She had packed a pajamas as sleepwear. In this heat. That was insane. And a very clear proof that her head hadn't been in it when she packed her clothes. The blonde briefly wondered what other crazy clothes she found find in there as she grabbed the clear plastic bag that contained her toothbrush. She dumped it on the bed and swiftly changed out of her clothes, jeans and a t-shirt. She shook her head slightly as she stepped out of the jeans. It was a million degrees in Spain, and she had brought a pair of jeans. Right then. She felt every bit relieved as she smoothened a hand over the soft, silky material. Ahh. This was so much better. She smoothened a hand over her hair and considered for a moment whether she should try and go through the items in her suitcase to make sure that there actually was something fitting for the Spanish sunshine. But before she could talk herself into it, the bedroom door opened, and Regina came back. She had tied her hair into a loose side braid, and when she came a bit closer, Emma could faintly smell toothpaste.

"Your turn," she said quietly.

"Right. I'll try and be quiet when I come back. Just in case you're asleep."

"I doubt I will be," Regina said and fidgeted with the end of her braid. "I can't sleep. I've been awake for seventy two hours. Or so it feels."

"Let's try and see if we can rectify that in a second," Emma said gently as she grabbed her toothbrush. She went over to Regina and pecked the side of her head. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Regina said and shifted a bit.

Emma hastily went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and "steal" Regina's hairbrush so she could tidy her hair just a little bit.

Once that was taken care of, Emma returned to the bedroom. Regina was lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. There was a worried little crease between her eyebrows, and Emma desperately wanted to smooth it out. She shuffled over to the bed and climbed up. Regina automatically moved away to make room for Emma, but once Emma was lying comfortably, she didn't snuggle into Emma's arms like she had done during Emma's first visit. Regina had openly admitted to being a "spooner" in bed, and now she wasn't...spooning. And Emma had a pretty good idea as to why that was. Regina clearly wasn't sure whether spooning was okay now that things were...changed. She wasn't sure how much affection she could show, and that wasn't right.

"You know, you don't have to sleep all the way over there," Emma said softly as she reached out to touch Regina's back.

"I don't?" Regina mumbled and lifted her head slightly.

"You don't. Come here," Emma murmured tenderly.

And so Regina wiggled closer until she was lying in Emma's arms.

"That's better," Emma said as she brushed a hand over Regina's hair. "I know we agreed to talk once we're both feeling a bit more awake, but can I ask how you're feeling?"

"_Sí. Por supuesto_," Regina mumbled. "I feel... tired. Nauseous. Concerned. Numb. But still less of all of it because you're here."

"Well, I'm certainly not planning on going anywhere right now," Emma assured her and dropped a kiss on the younger woman's hair. "Sleep. I'm right here."

"Okay. _Buenas noches, querida_," she said quietly as her eyes slid closed.

"Goodnight, beautiful girl."

It didnt take long before Regina's breath evened out. Despite her prediction, she was in fact able to sleep, and Emma grabbed a handful of the covers and pulled it over the brunette. She didn't want her to be cold. Emma felt a rush of affection for the young girl sleeping in her arms. Regina looked so vulnerable like this. She had been looking vulnerable all night. Scared and wide eyed, and Emma was glad that she had refrained from bombarding Regina with questions tonight. It probably wouldn't get any easier come morning, but still, Emma knew that there were things she needed to ask Regina.

Emma sighed as she curled up and pulled Regina just a little bit closer. She too was quite tired and needed rest. She hoped that she felt a bit more human tomorrow so she could help Regina the best way possible. Whatever she needed, Emma was going to be there for her. Whatever she had decided or would decide, she wasn't gonna go through it alone.

Emma lowered her head and closed her eyes...

Emma's eyes snapped open. For a second, she literally had no idea where she was, how she was or what time it was. But after having blinked a couple of times, things started to dawn on her. She was in Spain. More specifically, in Madrid. In Regina's apartment. She was Emma Swan. Right. Yes. And it was seven in the morning. God damnit. She was probably awake this early because of the jetlag. But she wasn't the only one who was awake this yearly. Regina was too. Emma felt how she wiggled in her arms, then turned around so they were face to face.

"Hi," Emma said softly.

"_Hola_," Regina mumbled tiredly.

"Did you sleep alright?" Emma asked and brushed hair away from Regina's face. Her braid had come lose sometime during the night.

"Surprisingly, yes," Regina nodded. "Did you?"

"Yup, I slept like a ba- a rock," Emma said, hastily correcting herself and thoroughly cringing at what she almost had ended up blurting out.

"That's nice," Regina said unbothered and rubbed a hand over her face. Then she glanced at the way Emma's long arms were encircling her. "And so is that."

"It is, isn't it," Emma said softly and gave her a slight squeeze. "I've missed you. I've missed you a lot. Skype is great but it doesn't quite beat this."

"It sure doesn't," Regina agreed and bit her lip slightly before saying: "I've been thinking about it, and maybe taking that...second test won't be such a bad idea. I don't think it'll show any different, but at least I'll be sure."

"I think taking a second test is a good idea," Emma said gently and gave Regina a little squeeze. She too doubted that the second pregnancy test would show a different result, but it was good to be sure. She gently began threading her fingers through Regina's messy braid, and Regina leaned into the touch and seemed to enjoy for a while, but then she began squirming and was definitely uncomfortable.

"You nauseous?" Emma asked softly.

"No, I'm...tender," Regina said and gestured awkwardly to her chest.

"Oh, I see," Emma nodded. Yeah, she knew that things could get pretty sore at the beginning of a pregnancy.

"So..." Regina shifted into a sitting position with her knees tugged up under her chin. She looked so much younger when she was sitting like that. "You have things you want to ask me, _sí_?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "If you stop looking like I'm gonna grab my things and take off any minute."

"Why wouldn't you?" Regina mumbled almost defiantly. "This is not exactly-"

"Hey," Emma interrupted. "I said that I was going to be here, and I'm not intending on going back on that promise."

"But why?" Regina asked almost snippily. "Because you feel sorry for me and don't think-"

"Because I'm in love with you," Emma calmly finished the sentence. "Because my feelings for you hasn't changed just because... anyway, that's how I feel about you. I hope you feel the same for me."

"I do," Regina said quietly. "I'm sorry for snapping. I shouldn't have done that, I'm just so confused! When I first met you, I thought we were just having fun, but then I realized how much I liked you, that I was falling for you, and my highest priority was to make a long distance relationship work and make enough money to come and visit you, and now this..." she gestured vaguely to her flat abdomen. "This wasn't exactly a part of my plans."

"I know it wasn't," Emma said softly.

Regina flushed and looked down at her hands. "We were using protection. I don't remember much, but I remember that."

Emma sat up and gently touched Regina's hand, tried to be as delicate as possible as she asked: "do you... do know how far along you are?" god, it felt so utterly bizarre to even ask that question!

"It must be six weeks," Regina said quietly. "Since I'm nauseous and all that."

"It would probably be good to see a doctor," Emma said and gave Regina's hand a soft caress. "In any case."

Regina nodded, blinked and Emma's heart broke when she saw tears drip onto her cheeks. "God, Emma, I don't know what to do!" she whispered hoarsely and looked down at her hands rather than at Emma. "I'm...I'm only twenty!"

Emma gave her hand a soft squeeze and tried to think of something comforting to say. Something that would make Regina feel just a little bit better. Anything.

"I mean, look at me," Regina shakily continued. "I work in a bar and dance flamenco. I live in a small apartment. I'm not exactly equipped to have a baby! What can I even give a child?!" she covered her face with a hand and sniffled.

Emma said nothing. She just wrapped an arm around Regina and let her have this moment where she freaked out. She could sense that Regina needed a moment where she let go and allowed herself to curse the situation.

"My m-mother is going to kill me!" Regina sobbed. "And my father will be so disappointed in me! He's been so happy because I was planning on starting on university, but I c-can't exactly do that with a baby, can I? God, I just... I don't know what to do! This is not exactly how I imagined s-starting a family! It was just one stupid drunken night! It didn't mean anything! And you..." she moved her hands away from her face and looked tearfully at Emma. "You hardly came all this way to hear me ramble on about the ridiculous one night stand I had! _¡Soy un desastre!___I can't do anything right!"

"Hey, that's not true!" Emma said firmly and pulled Regina a little closer. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth," Regina mumbled wetly and used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. "I can't ask you to stick around for this, Emma! You shouldn't! I can't...I can't even come and visit you like we talked about. You're the mayor's daughter. What wouldn't your parents think if they found out that I'm..." she didn't finish that sentence either. Instead she whispered: "_!Pensaran que soy una niña mala!_"

"Okay, I only understood the last part of that, and you're not a "bad girl"!" Emma said firmly. "And my parents would never think that. They don't judge."

Regina sniffled again. "They don't need to. I'm already judging myself!"

"Regina, don't." Emma said softly. "You didn't...it was... an accident!"

Regina laughed without humor. "A very big accident!" she quietly sobbed again, and Emma held her close without saying anything for a moment. Instead she reached across and grabbed the stack of tissues Regina had lying on her bedside table. She handed Regina a tissue, and the young brunette gratefully took it and blew her nose.

Emma gently stroked her hair and let Regina have a good cry about the situation. Then, once Regina was hiccupping instead of crying, Emma softly said: "you do have options, you know."

"Terminating the pregnancy," Regina half-whispered and blew her nose again. "I've... I've thought about that." It sounded more like a confession than anything else.

"Okay," Emma said simply and gave Regina another soft squeeze. "It's your body, and it's your choice, Regina."

"Yes, I know, but I..." she sniffled into the tissue again. "I don't know if I can..."

"You have time to decide what you want to do, honey," Emma gently told her.

Regina hiccupped again, blew her nose in the tissue. Then murmured: "m-maybe I could complete the pregnancy and then give the baby up for a-adoption."

"Yes, that's a possibility too," Emma said softly.

"There are plenty of couples out there who can't have their own children," Regina whispered. "I could find a nice f-family. Someone who could give the baby what it needs. Stability. A good home. Better than what I can give. And someone who would be a better mother than I. That's... that's the best thing for everybody, _sí_?" she looked up at Emma.

"Regina, it's not my decision to make," Emma gently reminded her. "I cannot make this decision for you. You have to make the choice you feel is right for you. But I'll be here and support you no matter what you chose."

"_No sé cuál es la decisión correcta_," Regina whispered. "If I chose this, I still have to tell my parents. I can't very well keep away for nine months, can I? If I choose this, I'll just have to live with the fact that my mother hates me."

"I'm sure she doesn't-"

"Emma, _querida_, you don't know my mother," Regina interrupted and shook her head. "Ever since I was a little girl, she has tried to turn me into a copy of herself. I was forced to act like a little adult every time she was around. The punishment for putting a toe out of line was severe. My first conscious memory is of being scared of my mother. This... will be worse than a bomb exploding. She'll go crazy, and it'll be terrible!"

Emma wasn't sure what to say, really. It was obvious that Regina was genuinely afraid of her mother.

"And what about Robin?" Regina continued and now looked positively sick. "Do I tell him? Do I have to tell him? Does he have a right to know? What if he refuses to consent to the adoption? Can I even give the baby up without his consent?" she took a breath and sighed. "_Lo siento_. I'm rambling and asking questions you have no chance of answering."

"I actually think it's possible to give a baby up for adoption without the father's consent," Emma said slowly.

"You think?" Regina asked hopefully. "I don't want him involved in any of this! He tricked me into bed with him! He shouldn't have a say in what I decide to do!"

"Agreed," Emma said gently.

"And I doubt he's interested in being involved," Regina said darkly and wiped her eyes again. "_¡Dios mío, me veo como un desastre!_"

"You do not look a mess," Emma said firmly. "You look beautiful."

Regina wrinkled her nose. "My eyes are swollen and puffy and I'm nauseous."

"I actually think peppermint tea help with the morning sickness," Emma blurted out.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Uhh..." Emma's cheeks pinked. "I might have googled "ways to deal with morning sickness" during the flight."

"Really?" Regina asked and tilted her head.

"Yeah," Emma admitted sheepishly. Now she was afraid that had overstepped a line.

"Got any more tips then?" Regina asked with a soft chuckle.

"Oh. Uhh... eat small meals throughout the day to avoid getting too full or too hungry. Don't take a nap right after your meal because it increases nausea. Avoid greasy or spicy food. For some reasons, crackers is a big "yes, please"," Emma said, quickly rambling off all the fact she had learned during her mad search. "Oooh, and lollipops!"

"Lollipops?" Regina echoed and now chuckled more genuinely.

"Yeah, flavored lollipops," Emma confirmed and hastily added: "I'm sorry. I've probably overdone it, haven't I?"

"You're just trying to help me," Regina said softly. "There's nothing bad about that. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, always," Emma smiled.

"Great," Regina said as she swiftly climbed out of bed. "I think there's still some bacon left."

"You know I love bacon," Emma chuckled.

"Me, too. I need all the strength I can get if I'm to take another test," Regina said a bit darkly.

Emma's mouth twisted slightly at that. "Yeah."

"Breakfast?" Regina said as she extended a hand out towards Emma.

Emma immediately accepted the hand being outstretched towards her and let Regina tug her out of bed. Regina flashed her a smile and then headed towards the kitchen, but Emma gently stopped her by grabbing her elbow. "Wait a second, beautiful girl."

"What?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

As an answer, Emma simply bowed her head and pecked Regina's lips lightly. "I've been wanting to do that since I stepped off the plane."

"Oh," Regina breathed, surprise coloring her voice.

"I still wanna kiss you, you know," Emma said nonchalantly. "And do this." she wrapped her arms around Regina and pulled her close.

"Oh," Regina murmured again.

"I am in love with you," Emma stated firmly. "The fact that you're pregnant doesn't change that, okay?"

"Okay," Regina whispered, and her jaw tightened just a little bit at the word "pregnant".

"I mean, yeah, it's not exactly what I had imagined," Emma said with a soft chuckle. "But I'm good at handling sudden changes."

"Clearly better than I," Regina mumbled. "Do you... Do you still want me to come and visit you sometimes?"

"All the time," Emma corrected with another chuckle. "I wanna show you Storybrooke and introduce you to my parents and all that crap. And I wanna take you to Granny's so you can taste the best hamburgers Maine has to offer!"

Now Regina was chuckling too. "I'd like that."

"But for right now, I just wanna have breakfast with you, if that's okay. Without talking about... anything."

"That sounds good," Regina said softly. "You like my bacon."

"I really do," Emma grinned as she fondly thought back to her first visit in Madrid where Regina had cooked her bacon during one of Emma's many (many, many) stays at the brunette's apartment.

"Perhaps I should make some tea as well," Regina mused. "If you really think that's good."

"The great wide web told me so," Emma assured.

"Okay. Tea it is then," Regina said with faux enthusiasm and flashed Emma a quick smile as she gently freed herself from the blonde's grasp and headed into the kitchen.

Emma watched as Regina pottered around in the kitchen and whipped out a frying pan. In so many ways, she looked exactly like the Regina Emma had said goodbye to in the airport a week ago. And in so many ways, everything was completely changed. Regina was pregnant. And considering her options. She had sounded quite certain when she spoke of adoption and the opportunity to help a childless couple, and Emma could only applaud that idea. Her own parents had been incapable of having anymore children after she was born, and Emma knew that her mom and dad had applied to become foster parents, but their application had somehow gotten lost, time had passed, and they had gotten older. They had never ever suggested that they weren't happy with the way things were, god no, her mom had always insisted that Emma was everything they had ever dreamed of, and while Emma fully believed that, she also knew that her mother and father were so full of love they could easily have given plenty to one more child. Or two more.

Emma glanced at Regina again. Now she was elegantly flipping the bacon on the frying pan, and her left foot was tapping slightly against the floor. Emma felt a bit relieved at that, though. Despite everything, Regina was still capable of dancing. Speaking of that...

"Are you dancing tonight?" Emma asked and tried to keep the concern out of her voice as she thought of how tired Regina had looked last night.

"No," Regina said, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the sizzling frying pan.

"Any shifts at the bar then?"

"Not that either," Regina replied. "I have the day off. Is there anything you'd like to do? I'm sure there are places you didn't get to visit during your last visit."

"Mmm, maybe we could go for a walk later?" Emma suggested.

"_Si_, that sounds good, _señorita Swan_," Regina hummed.

Now Emma laughed in pure relief as she walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist from behind. "God, I've missed hearing that!"

"I'm trying to make bacon," Regina chided.

"It doesn't make you nauseous?" Emma checked.

"Not at the moment."

"Let me know if it does, okay?"

"Okay..." Regina said and sounded a bit sheepish again. She also bowed her head and pretended to concentrate on the bacon.

And Emma wouldn't have it. "We'll figure it out, beautiful girl," she assured as she pressed a kiss to the side of Regina's neck. "We'll figure everything out."

"You sound very sure," Regina observed. "I wish I could be as certain as you, _querida._"

Emma kissed her again. Just because she could.

"But it's nice to not be home alone anymore," Regina concluded her sentence.

Emma smiled.

Spanish Translations=

Sí. Por supuesto.= Yes. Of course.

Buenas noches, querida= goodnight, honey.

¡Soy un desastre!= I'm a mess!

No sé cuál es la decisión correcta= I dont know what the right decision is.

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

After breakfast, Emma and Regina went for a walk. A walk that eventually took them to a drugstore. Both women went inside, and with her gaze firmly rooted to the floor, Regina plucked a pregnancy test from the shelf and went up to the counter and paid for it. Emma didn't comment on it. She just gave the young brunette's arm a soft squeeze. Taking a second pregnancy test to be completely sure was a good idea. Even though Emma was very sure that Regina was in fact pregnant.

The cashier didn't say anything as Regina paid for the pregnancy test. Just accepted her payment and offered a bag for the test. Regina immediately took that offer.

After their little stroll, they returned back to Regina's apartment. Regina sighed a little as she shrugged off her denim jacket and took the boxed pregnancy test out of the bag. "I suppose I better take this right away."

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea," Emma said softly.

"_Bien entonces_," Regina said and set her jaw. "I'll be right back." she would probably have walked right past the blonde, but Emma stopped her by gently putting a hand on her elbow. "Hey," the blonde said softly.

"What?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow.

Emma didn't answer. Instead she bowed her head and kissed the younger woman sweetly. She could immediately feel how Regina returned the kiss and sighed softly. After a moment, they parted, and Regina smiled up at Emma. "What was that for?"

Emma shrugged lightly. "You looked like you needed it."

"Thank you, _querida_, I do," Regina said, smiling softly before setting her jaw and straightening her posture again. "Anyway. I'll be right back." she looked down at the pregnancy test in her hand and clearly tried to take a humorous approach as she said: "This is gonna be the easiest test I've ever taken. Only one question. Only yes or no answers."

Emma chuckled because it was obvious that Regina wanted her to.

"Go into the living room and make yourself comfortable," Regina said, clearly fighting to make this seem like a normal situation. Like Emma had just come to visit her and nothing more.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod.

Regina disappeared into the bathroom with the test in hand, and Emma headed into the living room and plopped down on the couch. She felt slightly nervous. Could there be a chance that it actually had been a false positive? No. Emma didn't actually believe that. She didn't believe that a second test would show any different than the first one. She heard the sound of water running, and then the bathroom door opened, and Regina remerged.

"Three minutes?" Emma guessed.

"_Si_," Regina nodded and looked every bit tense as she sat down on the couch.

Emma immediately took her hand and began playing with her fingers.

"Do you think..." Regina swallowed something. "Do you think there's any chance it was a false positive?"

Emma pursed her lips.

"I can handle the truth, _querida_," Regina insisted.

"I don't think it's a false positive, honey," Emma said gently.

Regina nodded a bit. Now she was the one pursing her lips. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Something personal," Regina quietly added.

Emma chuckled. "Regina, I don't think it can get more personal between you and me. If you know what I mean."

Regina didn't share her amusement. "Have you ever had a pregnancy scare?"

"Oh," Emma said surprised, but not unwilling to answer the question. "I have," she admitted and thereby told Regina something she had never told anyone else. Not even her parents. "When I was eighteen. My ex-fiancé and I hadn't been dating for that long, so I was freaking out because of that and because I was so-" she promptly shut her mouth and felt bad.

"So young," Regina quietly finished the sentence and used her free hand to fiddle with the flower-patterned dress she was wearing today.

"Yeah," Emma said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Regina said with a light shrug. "You didn't say anything that isn't true."

"But it still came out the wrong way," Emma said gently and squeezed Regina's hand softly.

"The three minutes are up," Regina suddenly observed and gently freed her hand from Emma. "I better go and check the result. I'll be right back."

"Take as much time as you need," Emma encouraged.

Regina flashed a brief smile as she rose from the couch and disappeared into the hallway. Emma heard the door to the bathroom open and close. And then absolutely nothing. Just silence. Emma felt utterly tempted to go into the bathroom. What if Regina had a quiet breakdown in the bathroom right now? What if she was crying? Damnit. Emma should have gone with her. The blonde stood from the couch and shifted awkwardly as she stood in the middle of the living room. She heard the water running again. But no sobbing. At least nothing that could be heard.

Emma was still standing awkwardly and unsure of what to do with herself in the middle of the living room when Regina came back. She raised an eyebrow in surprise upon discovering that Emma had moved.

Emma had to bite her tongue in order to not say "what?". She knew she had to be patient and wait for Regina to say something.

Regina's face was emotionless. A smooth mask as she simply said: "yeah."

Emma was smart enough to know what that meant. "Okay," she said softly.

"I suppose I should see a doctor, right?" Regina asked and fidgeted with her hands.

"Yeah, I think that would be good," Emma confirmed. "But I think it's standard to see a doctor when you're seven weeks along so they can do an...an ultrasound and things."

"I see," Regina said quietly as she sat down once more and rubbed a hand over her face. "_!Ay dios mio!_"

Emma immediately reached out and rubbed her back gently.

"_Estoy bien_," Regina was quick to say with little conviction, "I'm just... processing."

"Of course. I get it," Emma said softly. "Just take your time, beautiful girl."

Regina let out a deep sigh as she rubbed a hand over her face again. "How am I ever gonna be able to tell my parents this?"

Emma rubbed her back again.

"They'll hate me," Regina said plainly.

"They will not!" Emma said firmly. "Don't say that!"

"They well," Regina said dully. "Well, Mother will. Daddy will probably 'just' be disappointed. And that's even worse." She sighed again, and Emma was sure she heard a sniffle or two.

"Okay, come here," the blonde said as she quickly gathered Regina in her arms and pulled the younger woman against her chest. "It'll be okay."

"Will it?" Regina asked quietly. "Will it really?" another sniffle. "I know what the wisest thing for someone in my situation is, but I don't think I can do that..."

"Then you don't have to, beautiful girl."

"But being pregnant..." Regina mumbled vaguely and shivered at the word. "Can I do that? Even if I'm going to give up the baby, the pregnancy will change everything. I would have to stop dancing. Stop working at the bar. I would have to postpone my plans about University."

"Regina, if you're worried about money-"

"_No. Absolutamente no_," Regina said dully before Emma could finish the sentence, and her dark eyes flashed with determination. "You've already hopped on a plane to participate in my nonsense, Em-ma. I'm not letting you do anymore."

"But if I'm offering-"

"No!" Regina said very, very firmly. "This is my mess. I have to handle things on my own. At least the financial part." She smiled slightly as she nuzzled her head against Emma's chest. "I wouldn't say no to a bit of emotional support."

"That you have," Emma assured and gave her a little squeeze. "You know that."

Regina went quiet for a moment, clearly thinking about something. But that was totally fine. As long as she didn't move away, Emma was satisfied. This was awfully nice.

"Isn't this very strange for you?" Regina murmured. "I mean, you'd be... you'd be dating a pregnant girl..."

"Yeah, I've never tried that before," Emma said lightly and ran her fingers through Regina's dark locks.

"And you're okay with that?" Regina asked hesitantly.

"I'm in love with you," Emma said casually, repeating what she had said earlier. "Like... really in love with you. And yeah, maybe this is not exactly what I expected..."

"Nor did I..." Regina mumbled.

"But I know that I don't wanna loose you," Emma finished her sentence and combed her fingers through Regina's hair again. "I'm too crazy about you."

A light chuckle. "_Yo también estoy loco por ti_."

"Is that something good?"

"Mmm, it is," Regina confirmed and shifted a bit so she could look Emma in the eye. "I can't come and visit you though."

Emma frowned. "Why not? If this is about money-"

"It's not," Regina interrupted with a headshake. "But I can't come and visit you while I'm pregnant. You understand that."

"No, actually I don't," Emma said lightly, tightening her grip around Regina once more. "You are allowed to fly. You just have to get past the twelve week mark, but after that-"

"Emma, it has nothing to do with the twelve week mark," Regina softly interrupted. "Think about it. What would your friends think if I suddenly show up when things are like this?" she vaguely gestured to her stomach. "What would your parents think if they find out that I'm pregnant with some random guy's baby whilst simultaneously dating you? They would think that I'm-"

"They would be happy because I'm happy," Emma interrupted. "If I tell them that, that's what they'll focus on. If I ask them not to mention your...condition, then that's what they'll do. My parents aren't prejudiced, beautiful girl."

"_Lo siento_," Regina whispered. "I'm assuming the worst because my own mother-"

"We'll handle her too."

"We?"

"Yep. We. I'll go with you to the doctor. If you want me to."

"You'd do that?"

"Yep."

Regina took a deep breath as she burrowed further into Emma's chest. "I'd like that."

"Cool. Then that's what I'll do," Emma said lightly.

Regina exhaled and her body grew a bit limp. Emma put a hand on her knee and drew small circles. She didn't know exactly what was going on in Regina's head right now, but as long as she stayed seated on Emma's lap, the blonde was more than willing to let her think for as long as she needed. Emma breathed in the apple-y scent from Regina's hair, and despite the challenging situation, Emma was so fucking happy to be back. Happy to be close to her Spanish beauty yet again. Happy to confirm that what she and Regina had shared for three weeks was in fact a real thing and not just a holiday fling. Emma tugged Regina a little bit closer just to confirm that she really was here.

"I'm not going to tell Mother," Regina murmured suddenly.

"You're not?"

"No. At least not right now." Regina lifted her head and looked up at Emma. "She'll be moving to New York in a few weeks. I'll wait until then. It'll be harder for her to do anything than yelling when she's in New York. And it'll give me more time to get far, far away." She was clearly trying to put a humorous spin on the conversation, but Emma couldn't see the joke. It wasn't funny that Regina was so scared of her mother's reaction to her reaction that she felt that hiding the truth was better.

"Okay," Emma said softly.

"Or maybe I just won't tell her at all," Regina continued and frowned. "She interfered in my relationship with Daniella. She interferes in my future already. She would see this as the perfect opportunity to really dig her claws in. She would attempt to take control over the situation and my life! She always does-" Regina cut herself off and scrambled off Emma's lap. "_¡Ay!_"

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, immediately worried.

"I feel sick," Regina answered and used her arm to cradle her stomach.

"Okay. Like... throwing up sick?" Emma asked softly.

Regina licked her lips and the "mm-hmm" she uttered was almost inaudible.

"Okay, well maybe it would be better if you went and took care of that," Emma gently encouraged.

Regina stood from the couch and stumbled out of the little living room. Just in the nick of time. Her face had gone green and by the time she reached the bathroom door, she had a hand cupped over her mouth. Emma cringed a bit when she heard violent retching sounds coming from the bathroom. She wasn't grossed out as such, but that didn't sound very pleasant. She felt sorry for Regina. It wasn't fair that she had to go through this because some dickhead had tricked her into bed by lying to her.

Emma heard the toilet flush. The sound of water running. A toothbrush being used.

And then ten seconds later, Regina came back into the living room. She looked pale now.

"Sorry about that," she said sheepishly.

"You've got nothing to apologize for."

"How can they call it 'morning sickness'? It's not even morning!" the young brunette exclaimed as she plopped down on the couch again.

Emma chuckled because she thought Regina was making a joke, but she was very much done laughing when she spotted the first sign of moisture in Regina's eyes. "Hey. It's gonna be okay," Emma softly murmured as she draped an arm around Regina's shoulder. "It's okay."

"_¡No, no es!_" Regina said wetly and rubbed a hand over her eyes. "Emma, look at me! I have morning sickness! I'm pregnant! How can this possibly be what you want?! You've just come out of a relationship! You were abandoned by your fiancée on the day before your wedding! That's complicated enough, you don't wanna stick around to witness me being pregnant because some _gilipollas_-"

"Shut. Up." Emma interrupted and pressed a finger to Regina's lips. "You're going to wear yourself out, beautiful girl."

Regina's lips pursed against Emma's finger.

"Can I talk now?" Emma asked lightly.

"_Sí_," Regina said a bit defiantly.

"Thank you," Emma half-chuckled and removed her finger from Regina's lips. "I want you," she said, articulating very, very slowly. "All of you. Which probably sounds like a lot considering that we haven't known each other for that long, but that's just how I feel. I'm crazy about you. Literally. I don't think I've ever felt so strongly for anyone before. Not even the guy I was engaged to for two years," the blonde allowed herself to chuckle before she let her voice go soft and gentle. "I don't care about your circumstances, Regina. I don't care about your... accessory." She gestured awkwardly to Regina's flat abdomen.

Regina swallowed audibly. "I had imagined your next visit to go differently. We were supposed to spend the day in bed. Not talking about morning sickness and doctor's appointments..."

"Tell you what, we can talk about morning sickness and doctor's appointments in bed," Emma said lightly. "Pregnant women needs to rest a lot, right?"

"_Sí_, I think so," Regina nodded.

Emma pecked her forehead and grasped the younger woman's hands and squeezed them tightly. "I'm here. I support you. I'll support you no matter what. I'll go with you to as many doctor's appointment as I possibly can. And even when I can't be here physically, I'll always be only a Skype call away. And I have absolutely no problem with talking about morning sickness and doctor's appointments and other pregnancy stuff."

"You're going to make me cry," Regina whispered, chin quivering.

"I'm sorry," Emma said and pecked her forehead again. "But I wanted to be sure you understood that I'm not just going to-"

"I get it," Regina whispered.

"Good. Can I ask you something then?"

"Of course," Regina replied and licked her lips nervously. "You can ask me anything."

And so Emma did. And she hoped that Regina would find it amusing. "What does '_gilipollas_' mean?"

Regina didn't disappoint. She let out a sweet, bubbly laugh and shook her head a little. "Douchebag. It means douchebag."

"Oh," Emma chuckled. "Nice."

"It was the only thing I could think of in the heat of the moment," Regina said with a slight snicker.

"Good description," Emma praised.

Regina clicked her tongue. "That asshole," she said plainly.

"Another good description, beautiful girl," Emma half-chuckled. "You wanna try some of that peppermint tea you bought? I've read that it's really soothing for the stomach when you have morning sickness."

Regina chuckled lightly. "Well, in that case, I think I'll go and make some then."

"No, I'll do it," Emma insisted and elegantly jumped up from the couch.

"Em-ma-"

"I want to," Emma said, voice soft now. "Let me. Please?"

"Okay, _querida_," Regina said with a soft chuckle. "By all means, go ahead then."

"Thank you," Emma quipped as she headed into the kitchen. She quickly found the little box of tea and got the kettle running.

"What would you like to do tonight?" Regina called from the living room. "Do you wanna go out?"

"Oh." Emma was a bit surprised. She hadn't thought about that. "Are you...Are you sure you feel up for that?"

"Yes," Regina said firmly. "Absolutely. "I refuse to let your second visit here be all about..." she didn't finish the sentence. Instead Emma heard the sound of her shifting in the old leather couch. Then she continued: "anyway, would you like to go out? We could drive to _1862 Dry Bar_. It's very chick, and they have really good cocktails."

"Uhm, Regina-"

"And water for me," Regina calmly finished the sentence. "I have to miss out on the cocktails, but I can still dance and have a good time. So, what do you say, _querida_?"

Emma grabbed the kettle when it started to whistle, and she quickly poured the hot water into one of Regina's slightly chipped mugs. Then she dunked the teabag in the water and brought the mug back to the living room and Regina. "You're absolutely sure you feel up for going out?"

"I am not gonna stop living my life because of this," Regina said simply.

"Okay," Emma said simply. No more talking about "this". No more talking about the pregnancy. It was obvious that Regina had a hard time thinking beyond the word "pregnant", and Emma didn't want to make it harder for her by keep talking about it. If Regina needed time, Emma was sure as hell gonna give it to her. As long as she needed.

"Going out tonight sounds awesome," the blonde said and smiled. And it wasn't a lie. Emma actually did want to go out. She had missed drinking sangrias and dancing with Regina.

"It's a date then," Regina smiled as she reached for the tea and took a sip.

"It sure is, beautiful girl. Is the tea alright?"

"_Sí_, it's perfect," Regina said, smile widening as she reached out and let her free hand gently rest on top of Emma's.

"I'm awesome at making tea!" Emma said goofily and tried her best to look like a superhero. A tea-making superhero, that was.

And her effort was richly rewarded. Regina lowered the tea cup and let out another sweet, bubbly laughter. The only thing Emma could ask for. The only thing she craved.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations=

Bien entonces= well then.

!Ay dios mio!= Oh lord!

Estoy bien= I'm fine.

Absolutamente no= Absolutely not.

Yo también estoy loco por ti= I'm crazy about you too.

Lo siento= I'm sorry.

¡No, no es!= No, it's not!

Gilipollas= Douchebag/asshole


	5. Chapter 5

That evening, Emma and Regina prepared to head out into the Spanish night. More specifically, to _Dry Bar._ Emma could honestly say that she was looking forward to it. She was looking forward to getting the chance to dance with Regina again, but she suspected that Regina mostly wanted to do this to prove that she was fine. That nothing had changed. That she was the same Regina Emma had left in Madrid a week ago.

Emma could see that the young brunette was tired, but she didn't say anything. What good would that do? If Regina needed this in order to maintain some sort of normalcy in her life, then so be it. If this made her feel better, Emma was more than willing to help her.

Emma looked at her reflection in the mirror and smoothened the creases on the short denim skirt she was wearing tonight. Regina was standing behind her, and it didn't take Emma long to notice that the younger brunette was shifting and looked uncomfortable. The blonde turned around and queried: "you good?"

"Yes. _Todo esta bien_," Regina said lightly and smoothened a hand over the denim skirt she was sporting tonight.

But Emma didn't want to give up that easily. She wanted to be sure. "I can see that you're wincing, beautiful girl."

Regina blushed slightly as she vaguely gestured to her chest.

"They're tender?" Emma guessed.

"Mmhmm," Regina mumbled and looked down at her hands.

"Your bra has wires, right?"

"_Sí_," Regina confirmed.

"I've read that sucks when you're pregnant," Emma said lightly. "Any chance you have a sports bra?"

"Yeah. I do," Regina confirmed and still looked a bit embarrassed.

"Try putting that on instead. I've read your boobs will thank you for it."

Regina chuckled against her will. "Okay then. I'll do that." She went over to her little closet and hauled a sports bra out. She wiggled out of her dress and traded her usual bra for the sports bra. She flattened the wider straps against her shoulders and slipped her arms through the dress sleeves. Once the dress was on again, she quietly observed: "I'll have to get better at knowing these things."

"Hey, you've just found out," Emma gently reminded her. "You can't expect yourself to become a pregnancy encyclopedia within two days."

"No, but still. I'm supposed to know these things now," Regina said firmly as she smoothened her flower patterned dress. "I feel like there are so many things I have no idea about. Everything is just so..."

"Overwhelming?" Emma softly finished the sentence.

"Mhmm," Regina mumbled and looked down at her hands again.

Emma turned her back on her reflection and walked over to Regina instead. She gently slipped an arm around the younger woman's waist. "I get it," she said softly. "I understand why you're overwhelmed. And you're totally allowed to be."

"Why are you so supportive?" Regina half-muttered as she leaned back against Emma.

Emma chuckled slightly. "I kinda have the habit of not giving up on the people I care about."

"_Eres increíble, Em-ma_," Regina said softly.

"I'm incredible?" Emma guessed and felt her heart swell in her chest. She liked being incredible in Regina's eyes.

"I never said that," Regina said with a soft chuckle.

"I think you did, actually," Emma gently accused as she planted a light kiss on the side of Regina's neck.

"Mmmm," Regina almost purred as she moved her head to the side to give Emma better access to her neck. "_Eso se siente bien_."

"Good," Emma said. She didn't fully understand what Regina was saying, but she knew enough to be aware that it was positive. She gently kissed Regina's neck again and noted that it felt as natural as it had a week ago. It was strange, really. Everything had changed. And yet it hadn't.

"I thought we were going to the bar?" Regina teased as Emma's lips lingered on her neck.

"We are," Emma quickly assured. It was so easy to get side tracked. "And as for the pregnancy stuff..." she softly continued.

"Mhmm?" now Regina sounded a bit guarded again. Hesitant.

Maybe we could read up on it when we get back from the bar?" Emma suggested and pressed another soft kiss to Regina's neck. Just because.

Regina turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "T-together?"

"Yes, Regina. Together," Emma said softly. "I already told you, I want to help you and support you in this. You're not going through it alone."

Regina flashed her a little smile. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Great. That's what we'll do then. You ready to go out tonight?"

"_Sí_," Regina nodded, and her smile became more genuine. "I am."

"Awesome." Emma gave her a little squeeze. "Let's do it then."

_Dry Bar_ was a pretty great bar. And clearly a very popular one as well. The place was packed with people when Emma and Regina stepped inside.

"Nice," Emma commented as she looked around.

"_Sí_," Regina nodded. "Do you want a drink or something like that?"

"No, actually I'd rather have a dance with you," Emma smiled. "You feel up for that?"

"Oh yes!" Regina said, clearly perking up at the prospect of dancing. "I always feel up for dancing!"

Emma grinned as she took Regina's hand and lead her out on the small space that made it out for a dance floor. She teasingly spun Regina around and didn't think much about the gesture at first. But then she frowned when she realized that there was a good chance Regina was dizzy. Spinning around probably didn't help. Crap.

But Regina just laughed, and her dark curls bounced around her face as she spun around again. "_¡Baila conmigo, Emma!_" she demanded and flashed one of her beautiful smiles.

And Emma happened to know what that little demand meant. She placed her hands on Regina's hips as they fell into the rhythm. Regina smiled at her again as she wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, and Emma took the opportunity to fully take in the image of Regina as she swayed to the music. As she smiled at her. As she wore one of her flower patterned dresses with that ragged old denim jacket over it. Her hair was hanging loose tonight, and she had inserted several pink flower clips in her dark curls.

"Is something wrong?" Regina asked and a worried little wrinkle appeared between her eyes.

"No," Emma said softly and smiled as she brought one hand up to Regina's beautiful face. She used the tip of her finger to gently smoothen out the wrinkle between Regina's eyes. "You are just really beautiful. Did you know that?"

"Oh," Regina blushed and looked even more beautiful. "So are you. The most beautiful person from Maine I've ever met."

"Have you actually met someone else from Maine?" Emma teased.

"No," Regina chuckled.

Emma laughed and moved her hand back down to Regina's hip again. She squeezed slightly. "I like it when you laugh, beautiful girl."

"I wouldn't have laughed if you weren't here, Emma. I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too!" Emma said as she teasingly spun them around once more. "We're pretty good at this dancing thing, aren't we? I mean, obviously, you are, but..."

"You are good at dancing too, Em-ma," Regina said firmly.

Emma chuckled. "Thanks." But she didn't really agree with Regina. She wasn't much of a dancer. Not like Regina. Emma couldn't get enough of looking at Regina. Looking at the way she moved to the music. Regina had this natural grace about her. She made dancing look so easy. Emma moved her arms to wrap them around Regina's waist. She pulled the petite brunette closer, suddenly overflowing with tenderness for her. She couldn't help it. She was so happy to be here in Spain with Regina.

And Spain clearly had a sense of humor tonight. The guitar melody was replaced by "_Señorita_" by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello. Emma chuckled and so did Regina.

"My friend's actually been singing that ever since I came home from Spain," Emma revealed with a grin. "She thinks she's soooo funny."

"She sounds funny," Regina smiled. "I hope I'll be able to meet her soon."

"I think you and Ruby would hit it off," Emma said warmly. "She has a dorky sense of humor, but apart from that, she's awesome. And she is gonna adore you."

Regina offered a little smile at that but looked somewhat nervous when she asked: "And _¿tu madre y padre? _Do you think they'll like me too?"

"Yes. Duh," Emma said with a slight chuckle. "Why wouldn't they?"

Regina bit her lip. "Well, uhmm, because... you know."

"No, I don't," Emma said firmly. "They'll adore you, Regina. Exactly like me."

"You adore me?" Regina asked almost shyly and looked up at Emma with her big dark eyes.

"Oh yeah," Emma said plainly. "Very much so."

Regina stretched her neck so she could plant a light kiss on Emma's jaw. "_yo siento lo mismo por ti_."

"Have I ever mentioned how sexy it is when you speak Spanish?" Emma asked nonchalantly and thoroughly enjoyed the way her skin tingled after Regina's lips had been on it.

"_Sí_, you might have told me a few times," Regina chuckled.

"And now I'm telling you again!" Emma teased as she took Regina's hand and spun her around.

Regina exclaimed in pure surprise at the sudden movement, and once again Emma's brain caught up with her actions. "Oh, shit!" she said and winced. "You're not dizzy or nauseous or anything, are you? I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking-"

"Shh," Regina chuckled and interrupted Emma's babbling. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Good. That's good. Let me know if that changes, okay?"

"Okay," Regina smiled.

And so they kept dancing until the song ended and Emma claimed she needed rest.

And sustenance. She needed that too. Dancing made her hungry. They pushed their way through the crowd and found a little table for two.

"What do you want to drink? Sangria?" Regina asked as they sat down.

"No, actually I think I just want water," Emma replied.

Regina tilted her head. "Are you trying to show solidarity?"

"No," Emma denied.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe a little bit," the blonde admitted and reached across the table to take Regina's hand. "Is that okay?"

"I suppose it is," Regina said with a slight chuckle. "For tonight at least. Feel free to drink whenever you want, Emma. And be grateful you don't have to give up smoking." She shook her head and laughed a bit sardonically. "I haven't had a cigarette in three days!"

Emma gave her hand a soft squeeze.

"Do you think everything is okay with that by the way?" Regina asked, growing serious once more.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked softly.

Regina leaned forward and lowered her voice as she said: "I've been smoking and drinking before I knew that I was..." she wetted her lips and didn't finish the sentence. "And now I'm wondering if I might have damaged...things."

"I don't think you have," Emma said gently. "I've been with you for most of the time, and you didn't drink or smoke that much."

"No, but still..." Regina shifted in her seat and suddenly looked younger than she was. Young and terrified about being pregnant. Emma gently gave her hand another squeeze. "I'm sure everything is fine, Regina."

"Mmm," Regina mumbled and look down at their intertwined fingers.

That was when a waiter came over to them. He greeted both of them, and after a quick talk through, Emma and Regina ordered two glasses of water. And a bowl of peanuts. That had been Regina's idea. Her cheeks pinked as she admitted to being "peckerish". Emma chuckled as she told Regina not to feel embarrassed about that. Because Emma was always peckerish. Literally. She was constantly munching and crunching on something. That made Regina chuckle and then express her skeptics about Emma's statement. But Emma assured her that it was true. She was a bottomless pit, she always had been, and if Regina hadn't ordered peanuts, Emma certainly would have. And that made Regina relax and smile.

Emma was happy about that. She wanted Regina to relax and have a good time tonight. The blonde had a feeling that Regina had been worried for three days, and Emma hoped that she could diffuse some of that tension.

As they waited for their water and peanuts to arrive, Regina's phone started chiming, and Emma almost held her breath as Regina retrieved her phone from the depths of her purse. Suppose it was Marian again? Or perhaps Regina's mother? That would be horrible.

But instead of looking worried when glancing at her phone, Regina smiled and then looked back up at Emma. "It's my dad. Is it okay if I take this?"

"Sure," Emma said and chuckled lightly. "I'll just be right here and admiring the view."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You are silly." She slid her finger across the screen and brought the phone up to her ear. "_Hola papá. ¿Cómo estás?_" she smiled as she listened to his answer. Emma could very faintly hear a man's voice in the other end, and even though she couldn't hear every word that was said, she immediately identified the voice as soft and warm. Gentle. Regina's father just sounded...nice. That was the only word Emma could think of to describe it.

"_No, estoy en un bar_," Regina said and flashed Emma a smile as she continued. "_Con alguien_. _Sí. Sí,_ _Emma esta aqui conmigo_. _Mhmm_." She smiled broadly, and Emma felt something flutter pleasantly in her stomach. Regina told her father about her. Emma really liked that. She liked that she wasn't some kind of secret or anything.

"Huh?" Regina continued her phone conversation. "_¿Madre? No, no. ¡Absolutamente no! ¿Por qué ella diría eso?_ _Yo no soy. Estoy absolutamente bien Sí. Por supuesto._" Now she was frowning slightly. "_Estoy bien papi_. _Realmente soy. No tienes nada de qué preocuparte, ¿de acuerdo?_" her father said something in theother end, and Emma could tell by the sincere tone that he had something on his mind.

Regina listened patiently and tugged strands of hair behind her ear. Bit her lip slightly. And when her father was done talking, she said: "_Bueno. Te hablaré luego, ¿de acuerdo? Voy a. Yo también te quiero. ¡Adiós!_" she ended the call and slid her phone back in her purse. "My dad says hi," she said with a slight smile.

"That was nice of him," Emma smiled.

"Mhmm." Regina rubbed a hand over her forehead. "He knows."

"Knows what?" Emma frowned. "You mean, he knows about..."

"Yes," Regina said. "I mean, no, not really. But he definitely knows that something is up. And so does Mother. That was why he called me. She's gotten the idea that I'm keeping something from her, and now she's manipulating with my dad to find out what it is." the young brunette sighed. "She always does this. Uses him to get what she wants. I wish he was strong enough to ask her to go to hell."

Emma reached across the table and took her hand. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Regina mumbled. "Mother is right. I am keeping something from her. And from my dad. Am I being stupid for wanting to keep this a secret?"

"It's your own choice whether you want to tell your parents or not, Regina," Emma said gently. "You're an adult. If you don't want them involved, then it's your decision."

"She would kill me if she found out," Regina said shortly and barked out a laugh. "In her eyes, this is the biggest "sin" one can commit. 'Getting pregnant out of wedlock'. She already thinks less of me because I'm bisexual, but this will be the final straw. I guarantee you, she would lose it. And she would probably track down Robin and force him to marry me now that he's gotten me "in trouble". She barked out another laugh that didn't have a shred of amusement in it.

"You can always come to Maine if you need to," Emma said firmly.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"I mean it," Emma squeezed the brunette's hand. "Say the word, and I'll buy you a plane ticket. You can stay for as long as you want. Hell, for all I care you can stay for all nine months."

Regina let out another humorless chuckle. "I don't want your money, Emma. I've always been able to fend for myself, and these changed circumstances aren't gonna change that. I'll manage. I'll just keep taking extra shifts and dance for as long as I can, and then hopefully I'll have made enough money to take some time off when...when it's time."

"You have to take care of yourself too, beautiful girl," Emma said softly and gave her hand another squeeze. "I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, but you need to rest as well. It's important that you take care of yourself."

"I know," Regina said quietly and there was that worried wrinkle between her eyes again.

Emma was just about to murmur some words of consolation when the waiter showed up with their water and the bowl of peanuts. As soon as he had placed the bowl on the table, Regina thrusted one hand inside it and treated herself to a large handful of the salty nuts.

"Hungry?" Emma asked gently.

"Mhmm. All the time it would seem," Regina sighed as she popped one of the peanuts into her mouth.

"Normal," Emma said plainly and raised her glass of water. "Cheers, beautiful girl."

"_Saludos, mi belleza_," Regina said softly as she raised her own glass and clinked it with Emma's.

Emma flashed her a smile. Perhaps this night wasn't like their other nights out, but the blonde thoroughly enjoyed it as much as she had enjoyed the other nights out with Regina. "Another dance later?" she suggested.

"I'd like that very much," Regina smiled, and her dark eyes sparkled.

By the time they finally left the bar, Emma's feet were sore and her ears ringing slightly because of the loud music, but she was nevertheless happy.

"This was a good idea," she said and gave Regina's hand a soft squeeze as they headed down the street.

"Mmm," Regina hummed softly. "It was."

Emma felt very comfortable. Walking down the street hand in hand was very nice. It had been a nice evening. A fun evening. Dancing with Regina was always fun. Emma was glad she was here in Spain. She absentmindedly hummed that Spanish song that had been playing on the radio in the bar, and it took her a second to notice how quiet Regina had gone. Emma turned her head and looked at the younger brunette. Regina looked a bit peaky.

"You okay?" Emma asked and gave Regina's small hand a slight squeeze.

"Mhmm. Of course," Regina replied a tad too innocently.

"You're sure?" Emma gently pressed. Regina didn't look a hundred percent okay.

Regina worried her bottom lip for a moment before admitting: "I'm a bit nauseous."

"Okay," Emma said lightly. "Throwing up sick?"

"I hope not. I'm not planning on ducking into an alleyway to throw up," Regina said darkly.

Emma chuckled because that was clearly what Regina wanted her to do, and then she queried: "do you think it was the peanuts?"

"No, I actually think it was the smell of beer," Regina said with a slight sigh.

"You should have said so, beautiful girl," Emma gently chided.

Regina shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. I'm fine."

"Good. That's good."

They continued their walk towards Regina's apartment. Emma slipped an arm around Regina's shoulder and was giving her a teasing little squeeze when Regina said: "I'm dancing tomorrow night. Come and see me?"

"Of course," Emma said immediately. "Are you... okay with dancing tomorrow?"

"Are you worried about whether I'm planning on falling asleep by my vanity by the end of it all?" Regina half-chuckled.

"Well..."

"Don't worry," Regina said with a snicker. "I'll be awake the next time. And if not, you'll have to pinch me."

"That doesn't sound nice. How about a kiss instead?"

"Like Sleeping Beauty?" Regina queried and did that adorable thing where she scrunched up her nose.

"Yeah, exactly." Emma chuckled.

Regina did too. "That sounds better than a pinch."

They made it back to Regina's apartment, and Regina kicked off her shoes with a relieved groan. Emma chuckled as she saw the brunette wiggled her feet and then shrugged off her ragged old denim jacket.

Emma toed off her own shows and reached back and tugged at the hair tie that had kept her hair in a ponytail all night. She tugged at the hair tie one more time and golden tendrils immediately spilled down her back, and it was impossible to not notice how Regina was looking at her hair. Emma made eye contact with the younger woman and smiled. She liked when Regina was looking at her. And god knows she enjoyed looking at Regina. Emma tilted her head and did just that as Regina moved around. Emma looked at her long dark hair with the flowers inserted. Her dark eyes. Her long smooth legs. Her flowery dress ended just above her knees, and there was plenty of golden skin for Emma to admire. The blonde licked her lips slightly as she took a moment to admire every little part of Regina. Her beautiful lips. Her delicate hands. Emma let her gaze trail lower and tried not to be a complete pervert as her gaze lingered on Regina's chest for just a moment. Lower still. Down to the inwards curve of Regina's flat stomach. Emma fixated her gaze on Regina's belly for just a moment. Soon enough, Regina's stomach would start to swell. She would start to actually show. Emma considered that for a moment. She could easily imagine how sweet Regina would look when she was starting to show. In fact, Emma could feel how the warmth spread rapidly through her chest at the mere thought.

"W-what?" Regina asked self-consciously and delicately placed a hand on her flat stomach as though she was trying to hide it from Emma's eyes. "Is something...wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong," Emma said softly as she walked over to Regina and gently wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist to pull her closer. "You're just really beautiful." she lifted the hand Regina had placed on her stomach and planted a light kiss upon it. "You don't have to hide your stomach from me, Regina."

"I wasn't," Regina said even though she had. "I was just... I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this."

"I get it," Emma nodded. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

"Mmm," Regina hummed and wrapped one of Emma's golden locks around her fingers. "You're handling it better than I."

"I think you're handling it very good too, beautiful girl."

"Really?" Regina doubtfully raised an eyebrow. "I feel like such a mess-"

Emma effectively shut her up by claiming her lips in a soft kiss. Regina gasped surprised and tethered slightly, but Emma swiftly steadied her by cupping the back of her head and drawing her closer. She could feel how Regina's lips went soft and molded flawlessly against hers. The slightest, softest pressure. Regina was kissing back. And even though it wasn't the first time they had kissed each other since Emma had arrived in Madrid, this kiss felt somewhat different. It felt like Regina finally was realizing that Emma was with her. That she wasn't going anywhere, and that she would support her through this. The thought of that made Emma feel positively euphoric and she deepened the kiss and walked Regina backwards until her back collided with the kitchen table. Feeling every bit spontaneous, Emma gently grasped Regina's thighs and elegantly lifted her up on the kitchen table. Regina had zero protests against that. She chuckled slightly breathlessly when Emma moved to stand in front of her, and the chuckle turned into a soft moan when Emma once again claimed her lips in a soft kiss.

Emma felt Regina's long legs wrap around her waist and effectively capture her. Emma had never been happier about being captured than she was right now. She gently cupped Regina's cheeks, deepening the kiss once more. Regina moaned once more, and her legs tightened around Emma's waist.

Emma was well aware that their kiss was gradually changing from slow and sensual to something far more desperate, but maybe that was okay. Maybe that was exactly what was supposed to happen. Everything in Emma was yearning for Regina. She wanted her. More than she had ever wanted anyone else.

Regina moaned into Emma's mouth again, and Emma had a feeling that both of them were breathless. She released Regina's lips with a soft pop and focused on Regina's neck instead. The moan Regina released at that was completely delirious, and it sort-of-almost-pretty-fucking-close made Emma nudge the young brunette onto her back and take her right here on this table. She gave Regina's neck a slight nip.

"_¡Oh, mmmm! ¡Joder!_" Regina moaned. "_¡Eso se siente tan bien!_ _¡Oh Dios mío!_"

"I only understood about half of that," Emma murmured as she lifted her head. "But I take it that you don't want me to stop?"

"I really, really don't," Regina said breathlessly. "But..." she frowned slightly. "Should we stop, though?"

"Why?" Emma asked plainly. "Do you not feel good?"

"I do," Regina said. "I feel very good."

"Then what's stopping us, _mi belleza_?" Emma asked softly and tenderly cupped Regina's cheek.

"I..." Regina flushed as she awkwardly gestured to her flat abdomen. "I wasn't sure you'd want to...now."

Emma could have thought of a number of things to say. But she didn't. Instead she simply asked: "can I prove you wrong?"

Regina blinked up at her and then said the only word Emma had dreamed of hearing: "_Sí_."

Emma promptly lifted the petite brunette off the table and carried her into the bedroom.

_**To Be Continued...**_

Spanish translations:

yo siento lo mismo por ti= I feel the same for you.

Hola papá. ¿Cómo estás?= hey dad, how are you?

No, estoy en un bar= No, I'm in a bar.

Con alguien. Sí. Sí, Emma esta aqui conmigo= With someone. Yes. Yes. Emma is here with me.

¿Madre? No, no. ¡Absolutamente no! ¿Por qué ella diría eso? Yo no soy. Estoy absolutamente bien Sí. Por supuesto. "Estoy bien papi. Realmente soy. No tienes nada de qué preocuparte, ¿de acuerdo?= Mother? No, no. Absolutely not! Why would she say that? I am not. I'm absolutely fine. Yes. Of course. I'm fine, daddy. I really am. You have nothing to worry about, okay?

Bueno. Te hablaré luego, ¿de acuerdo? Voy a. Yo también te quiero. ¡Adiós!= Okay. I'll talk to you later, ok? I will. I love you too. Bye!

Saludos, mi belleza= Cheers, my beauty.

¡Eso se siente tan bien! ¡Oh Dios mío!= That feels so good! Oh my god!


	6. Chapter 6

Regina giggled rather breathlessly when she was being sat down on the bed.

"Alright?" Emma asked gently.

"_Sí,_" she smiled. "Alright. _Ven aca._"

"Huh?" Emma said with a slight chuckle. "What does that mean?"

"It means... come here," Regina said softly and grasped Emma's hand to pull her into bed.

Emma more than willingly took that hint and crawled into bed with Regina. She smiled at her as she discarded of the denim skirt she had been wearing tonight. She ended up getting stuck in her tanktop though, and she cursed slightly as she tried to free herself from the constricting material. Regina laughed sweetly, and Emma felt soft, warm hands crawling up her belly and then assisting with easing the tanktop over her head.

"There we are. God damnit," she half-complained. She had hoped to be a hell of a lot smoother than this. She shook her head in an attempt get blonde curls out of her eyes.

Regina chuckled softly and ran her fingertips up and down Emma's ribs. "_Hermosa. Tan hermosa. Te he extrañado_."

"I've missed you too, beautiful girl," Emma said softly. "I've missed hearing you speak Spanish."

"I spoke Spanish when we skyped," Regina reminded her.

"Yeah, but it's different. This is...live," Emma said stubbornly.

Regina laughed in a way that suggested she found Emma to be rather silly, but Emma didn't care about that. It was impossible to care about much when Regina was shifting and then lifting the hem of her flower patterned dress.

"Can I do that?" Emma asked immediately. If there was one thing she had missed, it was undressing Regina.

"Mhmm. Go ahead, Em-ma," Regina hummed, and Emma's heart melted completely at that. She had missed hearing Regina pronounce her name in that sweet, endearing manner. It was worth a million plane tickets to Madrid.

Regina shifted and lifted her hips, and Emma took that cue as well. She gently lifted Regina's dress until she could pull it over her head. Then she sat back on her heels and just...looked at Regina. Drank in the image of her half-naked body. Gods above, she was so beautiful! How the fuck was Emma supposed to go back to Storybrooke? It had been terrible to go home the first time because the thing between her and Regina had recently began to blossom, but now... Now Emma straight up couldn't bear the thought of going home. She wanted to stay here and take care of Regina.

Regina unceremoniously reached back and wrestled off her sports bra. Emma inhaled audibly at that, and Regina smirked ever so slightly at that. "_¿Me extrañaste?_"

"If I've missed you?" Emma asked with a slight headshake.

"Mhmm," Regina hummed.

"Understatement of the fucking year," Emma growled as she leaned in and kissed Regina hard on the lips.

Regina giggled into the kiss and then she was leaning back so Emma was lying on top of her. Emma had missed that too. Very much. Her lips found back to Regina's neck and that sensitive place she'd found earlier. And she was richly rewarded. Regina let out this little content sound and some Spanish words Emma didn't really understood. But she knew it meant that Regina was satisfied. And so was Emma. Oh, so satisfied. She gave Regina's neck a soft little nip and fully relished in the half-laugh, half-moaning sound Regina made. It was like everything that had been piling up inside Emma was finally getting out. The distance, the feeling of knowing that there was a computer screen and an ocean between them, the stress when Regina suddenly stopped communicating, the feeling of not knowing what was going on. And now she was right here. In Regina's bedroom. With Regina. The relief was driving Emma mad. She almost felt a bit euphoric as she kissed her way down Regina's neck, dotting kisses all over her collarbones and then nuzzling her nose against the valley between Regina's breasts.

Regina mmm'ed at that but nevertheless brought Emma's actions to a momentarily stop by placing a hand on her cheek.

Emma was quick to look up and she immediately felt alarmed. Had she done something wrong?

"You might wanna be a bit careful there," Regina said quietly as she vaguely gestured towards her chest.

Oh. That made perfect sense. "Of course," Emma said gently and reassuringly. "I'll be careful."

"Good. That's...good," Regina said, but now she sounded a bit awkward. She was biting her lip, and her dark eyes were flickering slightly. She was clearly thinking about all the messy things that lied ahead. All the things that worried her.

Emma kissed her gently and then murmured in her ear: "switch your brain off, beautiful girl. It's just you and me, okay?"

Regina mumbled something. Something that sounded a little bit like "not entirely true", but it was too hushed for Emma to be able to fully hear it, and then Regina was kissing her again, and Emma pretty much forgot everything else. Time just sort of stopped. Emma wished that it could be like this all the time. Maybe she should stay in Madrid for a month. Or two. She could do that, right? It wasn't like she had super important things she had to take care of in Storybrooke. Well, maybe she had one or two photo jobs, but what the heck. She could cancel those, right? Emma was definitely not thinking rationally right now. It wasn't possible when Regina's long, slender legs wrapped around her waist and effectively trapped her. Emma didn't mind this kind of imprisonment one bit. Nor did she mind the way Regina teasingly gave her a little squeeze.

Emma broke the kiss to come up for air. She really needed to breathe. So did Regina. She was actually panting slightly. Emma chuckled warmly. "You good?"

"Yes, but I'm..." instead of finishing the sentence, Regina wiggled her hips a little.

But Emma actually really wanted to hear the end of that sentence. "What? You're what?" she asked and grinned at Regina.

"I am... _cachondo_," Regina said, grinning right back at Emma.

Emma's heart started to hammer in her chest despite the fact that she hadn't the faintest idea what that meant. "What does it mean?" she asked and dipped down to kiss between the valley of Regina's breasts.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Regina teased.

"Tell me..." Emma did her best to persuade by mouthing her way closer and closer to Regina's nipple.

"N-no," Regina said breathlessly. "Not now."

"When then?"

"Afterwards?" Regina suggested and squirmed under Emma's attention.

"Afterwards," Emma repeated, pretending to think long and hard about it as she inched closer to Regina's nipple. "Afterwards is good," she murmured as she finally wrapped her lips around the hardened peak and sucked gently.

Regina immediately cried out and her legs tightened around Emma's waist. Had she been in any position to do so, Emma would have grinned, but right now she could think of more important things. Like slowly swirling her tongue over Regina's nipple. That was very, very important.

"_¡Oh Dios mío!_" Regina mumbled, back arching to push her breast further against Emma, and once again, Emma could have grinned. She was euphoric. Beyond that. Right now, she absolutely couldn't remember why things were complicated. Right now, it was just her and Regina, together in Madrid once again. Emma lifted her hand and gently began to knead Regina's other breast. She made sure to be careful and not to anything that could potentially hurt where Regina was tender.

"Mmm!" Regina mumbled, and Emma noted that she already sounded a bit slurred. Emma wasn't surprised. Their skype calls had gotten pretty heated throughout the last week, and both women had been frustrated because of the distance between them. But now there was no more of that. Now they were finally together again.

Regina mumbled something in Spanish again, and Emma took that as encouragement. She gave Regina's nipple a slightly harder suck and was rewarded with a leg jerk and a high pitched squeal. Emma immediately lifted her head, asked: "too much?"

"No," Regina said, now pouting slightly. "Don't stop!"

"I would never dream of it," Emma assured and tried not to feel like a smug bastard as she lowered her mouth to Regina's nipple again.

The satisfied moaning began anew, and Emma felt Regina's soft hands on her back. They were scrabbling aimlessly for a moment and then Emma felt her strapless bra being unclasped and tossed away. What a relief. Her nipples had sort of been straining. Emma switched side and began to bestow the same kind of attention on Regina's other breast, and to her delight she felt Regina's blunt fingernails dig into her back. That felt fucking fantastic, and she couldn't help but to hum in delight as she gave Regina's nipple another firm lick.

"Em-_ma_..."

Okay, but if that wasn't enough to turn _anyone_ into a smug bastard... Emma amped things up a bit by wrapping her lips around Regina's nipple and sucking harder.

The sound Regina let out at that seemed completely delirious, and Emma felt how her strong thighs squeezed tightly around her waist. More Spanish exclamations Emma didn't understand, but still had absolutely no problem with identifying. And oh god, how she had missed those sounds! She could feel how Regina shifted underneath her. Her legs unwrapped and splayed out on the bed instead. Emma could have smirked, had she been in any position to do so. Then Regina was shifting again, pushing her breast further against Emma's mouth, and Emma sucked just a little bit harder. She trusted that Regina would let her know if it was too much.

"_¡Mierda!_" Regina hissed and shifted underneath Emma again. Her fingers tangled into Emma's hair, and it for sure felt like she was pushing against the crown of Emma's head. Again, Emma would have smirked if she could. She felt Regina push against her head again, then wiggling her hips, clearly encouraging Emma to take her attention lower. Emma lifted her head and teasingly inquired: "what's wrong, beautiful girl?"

"_Necesito más_," Regina mumbled a bit slurred.

"I know," Emma said softly. She actually understood what that meant. She lifted a hand so she could push Regina's dark curls away from her face. Regina's face was flushed, and when she opened her dark eyes, they were a bit misty and overflowing with warmth.

"You are so beautiful," Emma murmured as she cupped Regina's cheek.

Regina smiled up at her and lifted her head, clearly searching for a kiss, and Emma was more than willing to give it to her. She pressed a sweet kiss to Regina's lips. Then another one. Regina moaned into her mouth, and her arms winded around Emma's neck, bringing them closer together. Then she was opening her mouth, clearly inviting Emma to deepen the kiss, and Emma was more than willing to do so. She slipped her tongue inside Regina's mouth and earned herself another moan. Regina's fingers were in her hair again. Gently tugging in a way that made heat rush straight to Emma's core. She was positively aching for Regina. To touch her, and to be touched by her. She was never going to leave Madrid again. Nope. She was gonna stay right here so she and Regina could do this every single day. Perfect. She gave Regina's bottom lip a little nip and was rewarded with the slightest of tremors and a tug to her hair. Regina clearly liked a little pain with her pleasure. Interesting. Emma would have to remember that in the future. Oh yes, she would definitely have to remember!

They kissed and kissed until Emma's lips were tingling slightly, and Regina was panting. Emma smirked as she pulled away slightly to look at Regina. God, she was a vision! All bright eyed and lips swollen from kissing.

Regina groaned a bit and wiggled her hips. "_Estoy muriendo_," she murmured strained.

"And what does that mean, beautiful girl?" Emma inquired.

Regina huffed a little. "It means...I'm dying."

"Oh," Emma chuckled. "Well, in that case... Let me make amends..."

"Hurry."

"Bossy," Emma teased.

"_Sí_," Regina half-moaned. "_¡Por favor, cógeme, Emma!_"

Shit. Emma's brain felt empty for five solid seconds. "Okay, I know what that means now, and it's driving me crazy!"

"Good." Regina was cheeky enough to smirk up at Emma, and Emma had had enough. She pressed a quick kiss to Regina's lips and then mouthed her way down the brunette's throat, her collarbone, chest, ribcage... Regina was babbling in Spanish again, but when Emma's lips reached her abdomen, she suddenly went quiet and started tensing. Not in a dramatic fashion. Just the slightest little pull of her muscles, and it didn't take Emma long to deduce that she probably just involuntarily by kissing Regina's abdomen had reminded the younger woman of what was growing there. She had accidentally reminded Regina how messy her current situation was, and that had never been Emma's intention. She quickly took her attention lower and slipped Regina's blue lace panties down some so she could dot kisses all over her right hip. And that dead sexy little tattoo adorning her skin. Regina exhaled and started to relax again, and Emma made a mental note about steering clear of Regina's stomach until being told otherwise. She didn't want to make Regina feel uncomfortable if she could avoid it. She nipped at the soft flesh on Regina's hip, and Regina hummed in satisfaction and wriggled slightly, once again parting her legs. But Emma only had eyes for one thing right now.

"I'm telling you, that tattoo..." she murmured as she traced her tongue over the ink on Regina's hip.

Regina laughed strangled. "Do you have a tattoo fetish, Em-ma?"

"I didn't until I met you," Emma teased, now scraping her teeth over Regina's hip.

Regina gasped now. "Emma, please!" the desperation in her voice was rising, and Emma had no interest in making Regina frustrated. Definitely not. She tapped Regina's hip, murmured: "lift, beautiful girl."

Regina immediately lifted her hips and Emma gently slipped her blue lace panties down, finally baring the place she knew Regina needed her the most. Emma licked her lips and moaned in sheer delight at what she found. Regina was glistening wet and clearly aching to be touched. And so Emma did. She gently ran a finger through Regina's folds once.

Regina whined a little and wiggled her hips. "Em-ma!" now she was definitely being insistent.

"I've missed you," Emma gently told her.

"_Yo también te he extrañado. Ahora por favor, follame!_" was the answer she got. Regina had clearly reached the point where she was incapable of talking English, and Emma grinned because she knew enough Spanish to fully understand what Regina had just asked her to do. "But of course, beautiful girl. Nothing would make me happier." With that, she finally sank two fingers inside Regina.

Regina immediately threw her head back. The veins in her neck stood out and her lips fell open in a perfect "o" shape.

"Good?" Emma asked, quite unnecessarily really, because she could see that Regina had already reached some kind of state of delirium. And she could feel it too. Could feel how Regina's muscles were gripping her fingers. She didn't provide Emma with an answer either. At least not a spoken one. Instead she just moaned and rocked her hips. She clearly wanted Emma to move her fingers, and Emma was more than happy to do so. She had missed this so, so much. "You are so sexy!" she growled as she shifted to lie on top of Regina. She stiffened for a second upon realizing what she had just done, but then Regina was throwing her long and muscular legs over her shoulders, and Emma pretty much forgot everything else. Regina's dark eyes were full of mischief and fondness. Emma kissed her deeply and slowly began moving her fingers within her. Regina moaned into her mouth and her fingers tangled into Emma's hair and tugged gently. A gesture that did nothing to lessen Emma's enthusiasm. She crooked her fingers and made sure to stimulate Regina's g-spot with each thrust. That ended up accidentally making Regina biting the blonde's lip, but Emma had absolutely nothing against that. She found it to be terribly sexy that Regina couldn't quite control herself.

And that "lack of control" soon meant that Regina was crying out and clenching around Emma's fingers as she unraveled. Another thing Emma had missed. Witnessing Regina come like this. As soon as Regina had caught her breath, Emma began moving her fingers within her again.

"What about you?" Regina rasped and clearly struggled to get the words out. Emma found it rather impressive that she even was able to say anything in the current situation.

"I can wait a little longer," Emma assured with a grin. "Right now, I just really want to make you come again." she wiggled slightly, lowered her mouth to Regina's left breast and began to scrape her teeth over the soft flesh.

"Fuck," Regina said plainly, making Emma chuckle into her breast because it sounded like Regina was facing something impossible. Something she couldn't even brace herself against.

Emma pecked Regina's breast lightly and then lifted her head. "I've missed you." Just to make a point, she thumped her fingers a bit harder.

"I can feel that!" Regina hissed. "_¡Usted me está matando!_"

"Don't say that," Emma half-chuckled.

"_Me voy a morir_..." Regina said slurred and squeezed her eyes shut.

"That's not even remotely funny," Emma mock-chided as she twisted her hand, pressing her palm against Regina's clit to ensure that sensitive little nub were stimulated as well.

Regina straight up shouted at that. She yanked at Emma's hair and her back arched. All of Emma's attempts to understand the Spanish Regina was yapping off, was a lost cause. The only words Emma could recognize were '_Em-ma, Em-ma, Em-ma!_' and honestly, that was pretty much all she needed to hear today. Regina shouting her name like she was praising some sort of goddess. That was worth more than gold. Regina's legs were slipping slightly on Emma's sweaty back, and Emma used her free hand to reach back and grasp onto Regina's hip, easily manipulating her leg back where it belonged. Hooked over Emma's shoulders. She found that to be terribly sexy, and she knew for sure that it made the angle much deeper. Why change that? Why do something that would potentially make Regina stop shouting like this? She upped the pace of her fingers thumping again, and was rewarded with a completely garbled: "I'm gonna..."

"Mmm, I know," Emma murmured, lowering her mouth to Regina's breast again. "Go ahead, beautiful girl! Come for me."

And that was exactly what Regina did. There was a moment where she seemed to strain as she chased her orgasm, but then she was crying out sharply once more, and Emma's fingers were coated in her sweet essence.

"You are so sexy," Emma husked. She got no answer, and she hadn't expected one either. Regina looked like she was completely blissed out. Her eyes were closed, and her chin was quivering slightly. Suggesting round three would probably be a tad too optimistic. Emma waited until Regina had stopped fluttering around her fingers and then she slowly withdrew her fingers. She licked them clean just because she could, and then she gently "freed herself" from Regina's legs. Regina didn't respond to that either. The only thing happening was her legs splaying wide and her forearm coming up to cover her eyes.

"Don't do that," Emma said softly. "I wanna see you."

Mmm, _me voy a desmayar_," Regina mumbled in return without moving her arm.

"What does that mean?" Emma inquired.

"It means...I'm going to pass out," Regina stated plainly. Still without moving her arm.

"Uhh..." Emma was a hundred percent in doubt. She nuzzled her nose against Regina's bare shoulder. "You serious?"

Regina let out a soft giggle. "No, _querida_."

"Oh." Emma laughed too. "Thank god!" for a moment she thought that she had been too intense.

"_Eso fue maravilloso_," Regina said as she moved her forearm away from her eyes.

"Glad you think so," Emma smirked, her ego slowly overinflating in the most delightful way.

Regina opened her eyes and peeked at Emma. "I got rid of some stress."

"Sex is amazing like that," Emma teased.

"No. _You_ are amazing like that," Regina corrected and pushed herself up on one elbow.

Emma immediately leaned forward and bussed the younger woman on the lips. "So are you. You are so fucking amazing!"

"_Sí_," Regina grinned as she shuffled forward on her knees and then poked Emma in the ribs until said blonde was sent laughingly onto her back. "And in a moment, I'll remind you of how much..."

"You're sure you feel up for that?" Ooops. It literally just slipped out of Emma.

But Regina just smiled as she effortlessly shifted so she was sitting on top of Emma. "Oh yes. Very much so, _querida_." With that she lowered her hands to Emma's breasts, and Emma's mind fogged over. The world shrank until it only consisted of her and Regina...

When Emma woke the following morning, it was to Spanish sunshine streaming through the thin, white curtains. She woke to woven limbs, pleasantly sore muscles and the feeling of being utterly blissful when she thought about last night, Regina's hands on her body. Her mischievous smile before kissing her way down Emma's body...

But unfortunately, Emma also woke to an empty space in the bed. And the sound of violent retching from the bathroom. Emma grimaced as she got out of bed. She didn't give a damn about her nudity as she headed into the tiny hallway and quietly knocked on the bathroom door. "You okay in there?"

"Uh-huh," Regina said a tad strained. "I'm fine, just...go back to bed." there was some scrabbling and then more retching sounds.

Emma grimaced again. Poor Regina. She was apparently only allowed to forget about the "circumstances" for one night. She heard more retching sounds, then coughing and finally the sound of water being switched on. A toothbrush being used, and...

"_¡Maldito sea!_" Regina said in earnest behind the door.

"You alright?" Emma asked softly.

"Why are you still up?" Regina groaned. "I don't want you to hear me throw up!"

"That'll hardly kill me," Emma dismissed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Regina said not too convincingly. The door to the bathroom was unlocked and pushed open, and Regina appeared. She had thrown a bathrobe over her naked body before rushing to the bathroom. Her eyes were a bit glossy and her cheeks rosy after having been sick, but she was nevertheless smiling. "Good morning, _querida_. I'm sorry for waking you like this."

"You didn't," Emma said gently. "I woke up on my own."

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"It's true," Emma assured.

Regina sighed. "I haven't even had breakfast yet. How is it even possible for me to throw up?"

"I'm sorry, honey," Emma said soothingly. "Do you feel very nauseous?"

"Yeah," Regina said, and her mouth twisted slightly. "I better make some of that tea."

"Good idea."

"And I need to get some vitamins, right?" Regina continued and shifted slightly.

"You do. Prenatal vitamins," Emma nodded.

"I suppose I better go to the pharmacy," Regina mused.

"We," Emma gently corrected.

"Huh?"

"_We_ better go to the pharmacy," Emma said, grasping Regina's elbow and giving a gentle squeeze. "You're not doing this on your own, remember?"

Regina smiled softly. "What am I supposed to do when you go back to Maine?"

"You don't have to worry about that now, beautiful girl. I'll be here for at least a week."

"At least a week?"

"Mhmm. At least a week," Emma confirmed with a smile.

"I like the sound of that," Regina hummed, and in the same breath: "are you hungry?"

"I am," Emma nodded. "And I am more than capable of making my own breakfast."

"But you're my guest."

"No I'm not," Emma chuckled. "I'm your girlfriend who's come to visit you. You don't need to do anything extra on my behalf."

"My girlfriend, huh?" Regina snickered.

"Mmmhmm. At least that's what I hope I am," Emma said and grew serious again. She had fairly early on realized that what she and Regina had wasn't a "fling" or something lose.

"I like that," Regina hummed and looked fondly at Emma. "_Mi novia_."

"Does that mean...?"

"My girlfriend," Regina translated and grinned. "_Emma Swan, mi novia_."

"That sounds good," Emma smiled. "Now, why don't you go and sit down while I make some breakfast for myself and some tea for you?"

"Em-ma-"

"Honey, you're nauseous," Emma said sweetly. "You shouldn't be making me breakfast while you're nauseous. That's just brutal."

Regina giggled softly. "I suppose that's true."

"Now, for the real question of the day..." Emma said with faux seriousness to her voice.

"Which is?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you mind naked cooking?" Emma smirked.

Regina threw her head back and laughed heartedly. It took a while before she caught her breath and was capable of saying: "no..."

"Well, in that case, I trust you'll be hanging around in the kitchen while I cook?" Emma chuckled.

"Yeah, you got that right," Regina said and tilted her head as she admired Emma's naked body.

Emma laughed. "Or maybe we should just go back to bed instead?"

"Maybe..." Regina said, now licking her lips. But then she sobered up and said: "You're hungry. And I have to make tea."

And so they headed into the tiny kitchen. After Emma had "stolen" Regina's tiny silk shorts and one of her t-shirts. All dirty fantasies aside, naked cooking was not something she practiced. At least not today. Maybe another day, as she had teased. Emma coaxed Regina into having a bit of breakfast with her and whipped out Regina's old toaster. While she inserted two slices of toasts, Regina was sitting by the kitchen table with her phone in hand, and Emma grew curious. "What are you doing, beautiful girl?"

"I'm googling pregnancy stuff," Regina said halfheartedly.

"Yeah? Wanna read it to me?" Emma asked lightly. "I wanna know stuff too!"

"Oh, uhm-" Regina glanced down at her phone. "What do you wanna know?"

"Anything," Emma offered and made sure to sound completely casual as she pottered around to make coffee for herself and tea to Regina.

"Well, most of the 'symptoms' is fatigue and nausea," Regina said quickly. "And the website explains a lot about the first prenatal visit to the doctor."

"Okay."

"'The average embryo at week six is about .25 inches and will double in size again next week'," Regina mechanically read up from the website and rubbed the back of her neck. "So the, uhh..." she didn't finish the sentence. Instead she changed her mind and said: "it's the size of a sweetpea. Apparently."

"Tiny," Emma said simply.

"Mhmm."

"What about week seven? How big will it be then?" Emma asked and made sure to say 'it' and not 'the baby'. Regina couldn't say it, and Emma didn't want to make her uncomfortable by doing so.

"_Un arándano_," Regina said and chuckled slightly.

"And what does that mean?"

"Oh. Sorry," Regina's next grin was a bit sheepish. "It's means 'a blueberry'. I suppose that's sort of amusing. And apparently, I'll start craving stuff at week seven. That should be interesting." She frowned slightly as she tapped and scrolled on her phone.

The slices of breads popped out of the toaster, and Emma quickly turned her attention to that. "How crispy do you want your toast, beautiful girl?" she asked as she examined the slices.

"Golden."

"Okay then." Emma pressed the slices back in the toaster for another round. She and Regina shared taste when it came to toast.

"At week eight it's going to be the size of a raspberry," Regina told her. "Do you think the fruit and vegetable thing is going to be a theme?"

"Maybe?" Emma said as she walked over to the kettle to make Regina some tea. "Only one way to find out, beautiful girl."

"Hmm," Regina said, and Emma heard more tapping on the phone. Then the brunette chuckled. "Week nine, it's the size of a cherry. Week ten a strawberry. Week eleven, a lime and week twelve a plum. It's getting more and more ridiculous."

"Do I dare asking for the week forty fruit or vegetable?" Emma asked a bit cautiously.

"Mmm," Regina said, and Emma turned around so she could watch as the young brunette scrolled on her phone. Her dark eyes widened slightly as she said: "water melon. Oh god!"

Emma promptly sat the kettle down. "Shit, did I just scare you?"

"No, of course not," Regina quickly dismissed. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to push something water melon sized out of me."

Emma walked over to her and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "It'll be okay, honey."

"You promise?" Regina murmured.

"Yes. Absolutely," Emma said at once. "I'll be here."

Regina pulled back to look her in the eyes. "You'll... You'll be here for the delivery?"

"Yep," Emma promised in a heartbeat. "I told you. This is officially a 'we' thing now. Not a 'you' thing. Damn right I'm gonna be here for the delivery. I'm gonna be here to hold your hand and let you have someone to curse at if that's what you need."

Regina chuckled meekly. "The delivery is definitely gonna be scary. But I think it'll be less scary if you're there with me."

Emma pecked her forehead again. "You'll be amazing."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Regina smiled up at her, but unfortunately their tender moment was interrupted by two things. One: the slices of toast popping up. And two: Regina's cellphone chiming.

Regina took a quick glance at the screen and her nose wrinkled as she said: "that's Mother calling me. What a pity I can't find my phone."

"You're not gonna answer it?" Emma guessed.

"And let her ruin our lovely morning? Hell no," Regina said firmly as she rose from her chair and came over to Emma to help with the breakfast. "She can wait. I'm about to have breakfast with my girlfriend, aren't I?"

"You sure are," Emma smiled.

And so they both ignored the ringing phone and laughed as they tried to agree on how much honey on toast was too much honey.

Spanish translations=

cachondo= horny

¡Por favor, cógeme, Emma!= Please take me, Emma!

Yo también te he extrañado. Ahora por favor, follame!= I've missed you too. Now please fuck me!

¡Usted me está matando!= You are killing me!

Me voy a morir...= I'm going to die.

¡Maldito sea!= Damn it!

**To Be Continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

Once breakfast was over (Regina didn't have much of an appetite, but she did have tea), they cleared the table together. Emma had mysteriously gone deaf when Regina had muttered something about not needing help. And once the table was cleared, Regina had started mission 'where the hell are my dance shoes?', and after having spend twenty minutes frantically searching after said dance shoes, she reached the conclusion that she couldn't find anything because of the state the apartment was in.

"I need to tidy this place up," she said dully and wrinkled her nose. "And get rid of all those horrible ash trays."

"I'll help you," Emma immediately offered.

"No."

"Regina-"

"You're already helping me with one mess," Regina half-chuckled. "But the apartment is a mess I can actually handle on my own, okay?"

"Okay," Emma surrendered. She understood why Regina needed to take control over the things she could control.

"You could take a shower while I clean," Regina suggested as she grabbed one of the many ash trays and wrinkled her nose in disgust over the content.

"Or I could wait until you're done so we could shower together?" Emma said hopefully.

"You want that?" Regina asked and dumped the ash in the trashcan. "_¡Este es terrible!_" she switched the water on and began to rinse the ashtray thoroughly.

"I want many things when it comes to you, _mi belleza_," Emma said lightly. "Taking a shower together is a good place to start."

"And what else do you want to do?" Regina asked. Now she was wiping the ash tray clean.

"I really wanna bring you back to Maine with me," Emma said earnestly. "I so want you to meet my parents and my friends."

Regina smiled softly. "I'd like that too. And I'll come to Maine. When I'm past the twelve week mark and allowed to fly."

"Maybe I should stay here until then?" Emma said excitedly. "We could go to Maine together!"

Regina chuckled lightly. "_Querida, _we both know you can't stay that long. You have a job."

"I can postpone some appointments here and there."

"Em-ma." Now Regina was definitely chiding. "We both know you cannot."

Emma exhaled.

"But don't worry," Regina smiled as she came over to Emma and kissed her cheek lightly. "I'll come to you. I won't disappear."

Emma automatically locked her arms around Regina. "You better not," she almost growled as she shamelessly moved one hand lower and cupped Regina's ass.

"_Tan posesivo_," Regina teased. "I was actually in the middle of cleaning, Em-ma."

"But this is important too, isn't it?"

"_Si_, it's very important," Regina agreed and stood on her tippy toes to be tall enough to peck Emma's lips. Emma kinda loved that. She loved that Regina was so... tiny. She immediately returned the kiss and cupped the back of Regina's head to make sure that it wasn't just a peck. Emma wanted more than just a peck. She couldn't get enough when it came to Regina. And she was proud of that. She was proud of being addicted to kissing Regina.

Regina grasped the lapels of Emma's bathrobe. For a moment it felt like she was going to push it open, and Emma wouldn't have minded one bit, but instead of doing so, Regina loosened the grip on the bathrobe and gave Emma a light shove. Then another one. It didn't take Emma long to figure out that Regina wanted her to move, and so she did. She took a couple of steps backwards every time Regina gave her a push, and it soon brought her into the living room where Regina gave her one last and slightly harder shove that sent her backwards onto the touch. Emma laughed in delight, and even more so when Regina straddled her waist.

"This is better than cleaning," the younger woman stated matter of factly.

"It is, isn't it?" Emma chuckled and then she was opening Regina's bathrobe and pushing it to the side, baring her breasts. Emma definitely had 'sordid' intentions right here on this couch, chivalry be damned. She strummed her fingers over Regina's nipples which were already puckering.

"Is this one of the 'things' you want to do with me?" Regina teased.

"Oh yes, absolutely," Emma said with a grin as she plucked lightly at Regina's nipples.

"Oooh!" Regina mewled and her back arched in that particular way.

"Too much?" Emma asked. Just to check.

"No," Regina said and groaned. "But not quite how I had planned this."

"What had you planned then, beautiful girl?" Emma inquired with a smirk.

"Something like...this." Regina shifted a bit on top of Emma and then she was pushing up the top Emma had put on earlier this morning.

"Oh," Emma sucked in a breath and shivered as her breasts was bared. "Yeah, t-that's an idea too."

"Are you stuttering?" Regina teased.

"Definitely not," Emma denied. "I was just-"

"Stuttering," Regina finished the sentence with a grin.

"Well, you are on top of me, so I think I'm allowed to," Emma stated.

Regina snickered as she tugged at the top again, rucking it up further until Emma's head was pretty much shielded. Emma laughed as she joked: "help me, I'm stuck!"

Regina was straight up giggling as she pulled the top over Emma's head. "Not anymore," she said as she dumped the top on the living room floor and pushed Emma's honey blonde hair away from her face.

"You've saved me," Emma laughed.

Regina licked her lips and her eyes darkened. "And I'll do a lot more in a moment, _querida_."

Emma sucked in a breath again. God, this felt too good to be true. It was the middle of the morning and they were having fun on the couch. It should be like this every day.

Regina lowered her mouth and began to kiss and scrape her teeth along Emma's right breast, and Emma's head lolled back. Her eyes closed and she was already getting lost in the sensation. But then Regina stopped and went 'huh'.

"What?" Emma asked as she opened her eyes again. "Something wrong?"

"No. I've just found my dancing shoes," Regina laughed. "They're behind the couch."

"Oh." Now Emma was laughing too. "Well, it's a good thing we came in here then."

"Mhmm," Regina agreed. "Now...where we were?" she lowered her mouth to Emma's breast again.

Emma moaned and her head lolled back against the couch once more. God, Regina's mouth was a goddamn sin! How were they supposed to leave this couch? She thrusted her fingers into Regina's dark and silky locks and tried not to tug too harshly as Regina's talented mouth started sucking at her nipple. "Fucking hell, Regina!" she hissed.

Regina couldn't answer, but Emma was sure she was smug anyway. The way she was licking and sucking at Emma's nipple certainly suggested that she felt pretty superior right now. And honestly, she had every reason to be. The way she used her mouth right now, was slowly and steadily reducing Emma to putty.

Emma combed her fingers through Regina's hair again and again and wiggled on the couch. She was growing wetter and wetter and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she would have to ask Regina to "help" her with that. Exactly like she had helped last night.

"Fuck, don't stop Regina!" Emma hissed.

Regina responded by sucking harder and gently kneading Emma's other breast. She was so fucking good with her hands as well. Amazingly talented. Emma didn't have to think long to know that Regina was the best lover she'd ever had. No one could quite measure up to her. She gave Regina's hair a very slight yank, and Regina responded by releasing her nipple and instead placing small kisses around it. Emma hissed and felt how her belly clenched. She was headed straight towards delirium, and she moaned deeply when Regina took her nipple between her teeth and gave a very gentle tug.

"Fucking hell!"

Now Regina chuckled airily and lifted her head. Her eyes had darkened, and her cheeks were flushed. "Do you think you could come from this?" she asked curiously.

"Don't you dare!" Emma growled.

"What if I do dare?" Regina teased. "_¿Me vas a castigar?_"

"And what does that mean?" Emma groaned and grabbed aimlessly after Regina's breast. She couldn't quite reach it from her current position.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Regina chuckled.

"And what about that other word?" Emma continued. "That word you said last night?"

"_Cachondo_," Regina said, voice deepening and growing raspy.

"Yeah," Emma gasped, feeling the full effect of Regina's deep voice between her thighs. "What does that mean?"

"Horny," Regina said, pronouncing the single word slowly and teasingly. "It means 'horny', Em-ma."

"Oh," Emma wiggled on the leather couch.

"Are YOU horny?" Regina teased as she strummed her fingers over Emma's stiff nipples.

"Uh-huh," Emma hissed.

Regina was sitting on top of her and plucking at her nipples now. "Do you think I should do something about it, then?"

"You are such a little tease!" Emma complained and lifted a hand. Now she could actually reach Regina's breast, and she fully took advantage of that.

Regina stiffened and her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she moaned. "Not fair..."

"I can tease too, beautiful girl," Emma smirked.

That prompted Regina to dip down and kiss Emma's lips sweetly. Emma took advantage of that too. She wrestled with Regina's bathrobe and did her best to tug Regina's bathrobe off, but she only partially succeeded. She managed to bare Regina's upper body completely before Regina shifted and then began kissing her way down Emma's chest. This time she wasn't teasing, and Emma moaned in delight when feeling Regina's soft lips on her body. The way Regina kissed her send dull frissons of pleasure straight to her core, and Emma was positive that the silk shorts she was wearing was completely soaked. Regina's mouth was on her abdomen now. Planting warm, openmouthed kisses all over. Emma's core clenched around nothing, and she let out a frustrated little whine. "Regina..."

Regina nuzzled her nose against her belly for a second and then she was trailing her kisses lower. She reached the top of the silk shorts, and Emma could have cried in pure relief when Regina didn't hesitate but simply yanked the shorts down. Then her hand was between Emma's legs.

"Argh!" Emma hissed, feeling how her legs jerked involuntarily.

Regina looked up at her and grinned. Their eyes locked for just a moment, and suddenly Emma felt like the youngest of the two. She licked her lips and did her best to part her legs further. Not an easy task given they were on the couch. Definitely not the ideal place to do this, but right now Emma couldn't bring herself to care.

Regina grabbed her dark hair and tugged it over one shoulder. She then lowered her head and gave Emma's right inner thigh a soft little kiss.

Emma bit her lip and wiggled again. Regina gave her inner thigh another kiss and then she was mouthing her way up to Emma's sex. Emma made a half-assed attempt at bracing herself, but there really was no way of bracing herself when Regina used the flat of her tongue to give a long, broad stroke from entrance to clit. Emma fisted her hands in dark hair, and Regina grasped her thighs to get better access. She gave another long, broad lick, and Emma already felt like she was dying. Having such a talented tongue should be forbidden. She gave Regina's hair another yank and wasn't even worried about yanking too harshly. Regina's tongue was still exploring her. Gliding through her folds then lingering by her entrance and gathering the wetness there. Emma moaned sharply and cursed her under her breath. Seriously, the reasons to just never go home was piling up in her head. She felt her core vibrate, and the knowledge that Regina had just moaned into her sex made Emma go even wetter. Regina had complained about dying last night. She had claimed that Emma was killing her, and Emma had dismissed her, but now she could actually see where Regina was coming from. Having someone between your legs, doing almost what you needed them to do but not quite, was really frustrating.

"Regina!" she hissed. "Please!"

Regina responded by gently dragging her tongue over her clit. A jolt of pleasure fizzled through Emma's body at that. Almost perfect, but not quite.

"Could you- Mmm! Oh god- do that thing you did last night?" Emma asked breathlessly.

Her core vibrated again. Regina was clearly laughing at her. But she did indeed do that thing she had done last night. That thing that had sufficiently robbed Emma of her voice and driven her half-mad with pleasure.

And that thing was flicking the tip of her tongue quickly against Emma's clit while slipping two fingers inside her sex and giving firm, quick raps to her g-spot.

Emma shouted and clapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle herself. There was no reason to let the whole building know that they were having sex. But fuck, it was hard to stay quiet when Regina's fingers were curling and hitting her g-spot perfectly, and _fuck_, her tongue! It was almost too much! Emma fisted her free hand in Regina's dark curls and reminded herself to breathe. Her belly was fluttering, and she was already clenching around Regina's fingers. She wasn't gonna last long. Unfortunately. She huffed and squirmed at the way Regina's relentless tongue was flicking against her clit. It was bordering on almost being too much, but that was exactly what drove Emma mad. She let out a shattered little moan, felt more wetness emerge from her core. "R-Regina!"

Obviously, Regina couldn't answer her. Not in words. But she did use her free hand to give Emma's thigh a soft squeeze.

Emma moaned again and squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she tried to tell herself that she was capable of taking both Regina's fingers inside her and her tongue flicking against her clit. She pulled at Regina's hair again, opened her eyes and lifted her head so she could look down at Regina. Her head was moving up and down between the blonde's thighs. Emma squeezed her eyes shut again. She couldn't keep looking. It felt as though she would die if she did. Liquid fire was burning in her belly, and it felt like she was hanging onto the edge by just her nails. Maybe Regina was actually trying to kill her. What a way to go that would be. Emma laughed a tad hysterically without fully knowing why. Regina was literally driving her crazy, and Emma didn't hesitate to tell her that. She was pretty sure Regina was gonna laugh about it later, but that was okay.

Emma's jaw clenched as she strained. Her hips rocked and then her mouth was falling open when Regina rather suddenly took her clit between her lips and oh god, she was going to- she was definitely going to-

There was no stopping it, really. Nor could she do anything to brace herself when the orgasm crashed down upon her, ripped through her, washed over her like a wave and rocked her from top to toe. She cried out muffled against the fist still pressed against her mouth and shook as white light popped behind her eyes.

Regina took the intensity down a little, but she never stopped fluttering her tongue against Emma's clit. Nor did she stop wiggling her fingers within Emma, gently stimulating her g-spot and making sure that Emma was getting all the pleasure she could.

Emma hadn't yet come down from the first orgasm when she felt a second one rapidly approaching. The little squeaking sound she made against her fist when she felt herself getting closer again was almost undignified, but she couldn't help it. And she sure as fuck couldn't brace herself for this one either. Before she knew of it, she was coming again and crying out Regina's name as she did so. White lights exploded behind her eyes again and her head felt floaty. Utterly blissed out. It didn't matter that she was laying on a couch that wasn't particular comfortable. It didn't matter that she didn't actually fit here and was in danger of falling off the damn couch all the time. Right now, nothing could convince her that this old and cracked leather couch wasn't heaven.

"Mmm," she breathed and felt how her legs were getting delightfully heavy. She was done for. Spend. She couldn't possibly take anymore right now.

And Regina knew that. She withdrew her fingers and lifted her head. Emma moaned again when she felt soft lips being pressed gently against her inner thigh once more.

"Why can't all my mornings start like this?" Regina said hoarsely.

Emma laughed croakily, urged: "come here, you."

"I don't think there's room enough for both of us, _querida_."

"Let's try it anyway," Emma coaxed and grabbed blindly for Regina.

Regina giggled and then she was wiggling into Emma's arms. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Emma still had about an inch of couch to stay on, so it was all good.

"I don't think that was cleaning up," Regina mused. "I'm procrastinating again."

Emma gave her a little squeeze. "Best procrastinating ever!"

"Yes, that was very enjoyable," Regina murmured. "You are so... delicious."

Emma shivered. "Fuck, Regina, don't make me horny all over again!"

"Why not?" Regina snickered and Emma felt lips on her collarbone.

"Because I can't take anymore right now," Emma said firmly and finally opened her eyes again. Regina looked absolutely delightful with mussed up hair, pink cheeks and lips that were a tiny bit moist. Emma spontaneously lifted her head and pecked those lips. She shivered again when she felt that unmistakable taste of herself prickle on her tongue. Indeed, why couldn't they do this every morning? This was a fucking brilliant way to start the day.

"Wanna make out until we have to eat lunch?" Emma asked cheekily.

"Sounds good," Regina snickered and pecked Emma's lips again.

That was all it was at first, really. Just soft pecks. But as Emma got some of her strength back, she was the one to deepen the kiss. The one to pull Regina down on top of her. She tangled her fingers into Regina's dark locks and thought to herself that she would have to "return the favor" before this little makeout session was over.

But before they could take the kissing to the next level, they were interrupted by Emma's ringing phone.

Regina broke the kiss and glanced at the coffee table where Emma's phone was laying.

"Ignore it," Emma moaned and grasped Regina's chin in an attempt to bring Regina's mouth back to hers.

Regina giggled adorably. "It could be important, Em-ma. It could be your parents."

Knowing that Regina was right, Emma clumsily grasped the phone and glanced at the screen. "It's Ruby. It's not important. Kiss me again."

"Now can you know it's not important?" Regina pointed out and raised an eyebrow. "For all you know, it could be. It could be very important. And besides, I really do have to do some cleaning."

"Urgh," Emma said as she swiped a finger across the screen and then brought the phone up to her ear. "Ruby. Hey," she said as she tugged at the blanket Regina had pulled over them before they started kissing. She didn't want Emma to get cold, and Emma found that to be positively adorable.

"Ems!" Ruby chirped in the other end. "How's tricks in Spain?"

"It's fine. Everything's fine," Emma said.

Regina snickered on top of her.

"Was that Regina I heard?" Ruby asked and Emma was sure she was raising an eyebrow.

"Definitely not," Emma denied.

Regina snickered again as she climbed off Emma and muttered something about needing a cigarette.

"Oh good god, please tell me I didn't interrupt you in the middle of-"

"Ruby!" Emma barked. "That's really rude!"

"Possibly. But is it also really true? 'Cause if that's the case-"

"It's not," Emma firmly interrupted.

"What are you guys doing then?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, we're just hanging out," Emma said lightly. "Nothing major. Regina's dancing tonight, so we're just chilling until then."

"Sounds great. How's the weather in Madrid?"

"Sunshine and blue sky."

Ruby cursed in the other end. "Damn you, Swan. Storybrooke is completely grey."

"Which is why I'm never coming home," Emma joked. "I'm gonna stay in Madrid for the rest of my life."

Regina's sweet laughter soared in from the kitchen, and the sound was like honey.

"So still ridiculously in love with your sweetheart," Ruby said dully.

"Not quite how I would have put it, but essentially, yes," Emma said and stretched her neck so she could see Regina walk back and forward in the kitchen. Oh yes, she was most definitely ridiculously in love with "her sweetheart".

"That's great to hear, Swan," Ruby said. "And is Regina okay?"

Very appropriately, Regina started to hum some Spanish song Emma didn't recognize, and the blonde chuckled as she said: "yeah, she's fine. Absolutely."

"Good," Ruby said, and Emma heard a bit of shuffling. "I was actually worried about her. I thought something was really wrong because of the way you suddenly had to go to Spain and all."

"She's fine," Emma assured her friend.

"But there was something going on, right?" Ruby asked plainly.

"Ruby-"

"I'm not asking you to tell me what that something is," Ruby interrupted. "I'm just asking you to confirm a theory. That's all."

"Okay," Emma said and pulled the blanket up a bit. She needed to get dressed. "Yeah, something was going on, but Regina and I are working it out."

"Okay," Ruby said simply, and Emma heard the warmth in her voice when she continued: "I'm glad you found her, Swan."

"Me, too," Emma said and felt a ridiculous grin spread on her face.

"Now tell me..." Ruby said, and now she was grinning too. "Are you gonna bring your Spanish beauty back to the rainy Maine anytime soon? I'm so curious to meet her. And so are your parents."

Emma laughed and Regina half-yelled "_sí_!"

Ruby laughed. "Hi, Regina. How's everything going? Emma, put her on speaker so I can talk to her!"

Emma did just that, and it didn't take long before Regina and Ruby were happily chitchatting like they had known each other always.

"Is Emma being nice to you?" Ruby cackled.

"Seriously?" Emma groaned.

"_Sí_, of course she is," Regina said warmly. "She always is. She's the sweetest tourist I've ever met."

"Aww," Ruby cooed. "You guys are so adorable."

"And you're really annoying," Emma scowled.

"She is not," Regina admonished. "She's being happy for us."

"Yeah, she is," Ruby laughed. "Listen to your girlfriend, Emma."

Regina laughed and then excused herself saying that she needed to clean up in the apartment. Emma took over the conversation and felt a bit guilty for just laying on the couch and doing nothing while Regina was rushing around like a little tornado and cleaning the apartment. She didn't look particularly chuffed as she removed the many ashtrays.

"Need any help, beautiful girl?" Emma asked, briefly pausing the conversation with Ruby.

"Absolutely not," Regina said firmly.

Ruby snickered in the other end. "Should I let you go so you can help your girlfriend?"

"I think that might be good," Emma laughed.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later. Soak up some Spanish sunshine for me!"

"Will do. Talk soon!"

"Unless you'll be too distracted. Bye!" there was a click and then she was gone.

"Rude ass," Emma mumbled as she put the phone down. She then got up from the couch. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she shuffled into the kitchen where Regina was currently rinsing another ashtray and humming softly under her breath as she did so.

"You sure I can't help you with that?" Emma asked as she gently wrapped her arms around Regina from behind.

"No, that's alright. I got it," Regina said and leaned back against Emma.

"You sure?" Emma asked, moving one hand so she could push Regina's tangled hair away from her shoulder. She then lowered her head and planted a kiss where the dressing gown had slipped slightly from Regina's bare shoulder.

"Mmm," Regina purred. "That feels really nice."

"Happy to hear that. How's the morning sickness?"

"It's gone," Regina said, and her voice dropped one or two octaves as she joked: "Having sex with you clearly helped."

"Oh," Emma cackled. "Is that the official cure for morning sickness?"

"It might be."

"I'll have to come to Madrid every week and help you out then," Emma joked. "Now, how about that shower?"

"But I'm cleaning," Regina claimed.

"We could be cleaning each other instead?"

"Fair point."

It didn't take long before the ashtray was forgotten and the two women ended up in the shower, cleaning each other and having a wonderful time. Emma couldn't have asked for a better way to start her morning.

That same night found Emma in the dressing room in the bar where Regina was dancing tonight. Emma had brought her camera so she could snap some bomb ass pictures of Regina dancing, but before that could happen, Regina had to get dressed in her flamenco gear. Which was why Emma currently was hanging out in the dressing room. She had promised Regina to help her get dressed.

They've had a very nice day together. By lunchtime, Regina's appetite had come back, and they had headed out to a nearby pavement restaurant to have lunch. Regina hadn't thrown up since this morning either, and that made things a little easier. Regina hadn't uttered a word about the pregnancy, and not experiencing any morning sickness probably made it a little easier to pretend that everything was perfectly normal. Regina was allowed to pretend for a little while longer if that was what she needed.

Emma shifted a bit in the plushy chair and tried not to get aroused as she watched Regina walk around in the dressing room. She had already put on her sheer stockings and high heeled dance shoes, and now she was hauling her red flamenco dress out of the large plastic bag. She tugged it over her head, slipped her arms through the narrow sleeves and then turned to Emma: "give me a hand, _querida_?"

"Always," Emma said briskly as she rose from the plushy chair and went over to Regina. "Turn around, beautiful girl."

Regina did just that, and Emma started to work the strings in the corset back. She pulled and tugged and felt pretty satisfied with her lace-up skills until Regina said: "A bit tighter I think, _querida._"

Emma hesitated. "You're sure?"

"Otherwise things will pop out. And while that's nice for you, it might not be nice for others," Regina joked.

Emma snickered. "Okay, fair point." She tugged a bit at the strings in Regina's dress.

"Tighter."

"Regina-"

"It's fine, Em-ma. It's supposed to be laced up tightly. And it's okay for now. But later I suppose I'll have to come up with some kind of solution."

"How long are you planning on keep dancing for?" Emma asked softly as she gave the strings in Regina's dress another pull.

"For as long as I can," Regina said lightly. "Until I get too big."

"Okay. Is this tight enough? Please say yes. Because the idea of tightening things further is giving me heart palpations."

Regina snickered. "It's tight enough. Thank you, _querida_. How do I look?" she did a little spin, and Emma immediately admired her. Regina's hair had been slicked back in a tight bun. Her eye makeup had been intensified. Her eyes looked almost black tonight, and her lips had been painted the darkest shade of red.

"You look stunning," Emma said warmly.

"Yeah?" Regina said and blushed coyly as she adjusted the golden bracelet around her wrist. "You think so?"

"Oh yeah. I might attack you afterwards."

Regina bared her teeth in a grin. "I'll be looking forward to that, _querida. _But for now..." she brushed a hand over the extravagant skirt on her dress.

"Can I take a picture of you?" Emma asked eagerly.

"I haven't started dancing yet," Regina teased.

"Doesn't matter. I really wanna take a picture of you. Can I?"

"_Sí, querida. _You can take a picture of me."

And so Emma did. Only she didn't just take one. She took several. She couldn't resist it. Regina just looked so good in her flamenco dress. And it didn't take long before they were messing around with the camera. Regina jokingly posed and made "scary" faces, and Emma laughed so hard she almost dropped the camera.

"I'm gonna post these on my website," she jokingly warned.

"You will not!" Regina squealed and immediately stopped grimacing.

"I won't," Emma quickly promised. "I'm just joking."

Regina snickered and glanced in the mirror to assure her makeup hadn't become screwed up. "I think it's almost time. You'll sit near the stage, right?"

"I'll be the one with the camera," Emma joked.

Regina laughed again and pecked Emma's cheek. "Oops. Lipstick," she said and did her best to wipe the smudge away from Emma's cheek.

"It's fine. I don't mind." And she didn't. She quite fancied having Regina's lipstick mark on her cheek.

They left the dressing room. Emma found her preferred spot near the stage, and Regina waited for a moment as her guitar playing friends were welcome on stage. Emma applauded along with everyone else, but she was definitely much more enthusiastic when "_La Reina!_" was announced, and Regina came on stage. God, she looked so fucking good! Emma could barely believe that this glorious creature actually was with her. She was the luckiest bastard in the world.

The lights were dimmed. The music started, and Regina began to dance. But tonight her eyes were sparkling. Tonight her cheeks were rosy. She looked happy and enthusiastic about dancing. Emma was quick to lift the camera and snap picture after picture of Regina dancing. One could never have too many picture of Regina smiling. Emma would gladly fill her camera with Regina smiling. Every smile was a treasure, and Emma was a collector of treasures...

Emma's palms were tingling slightly, but she didn't care. She just kept clapping. And whooping. Yeah, she was doing that too. Because Regina had just given one hell of a performance. Seriously, she had just danced her heart out on that stage.

Regina bowed for the crowd, turned their attention to the guitar playing duo to ensure that they got attention too, and then she headed towards the door that lead to the backroom.

Emma quickly packed up her camera and followed Regina through the room. She had taken extremely many pictures of Regina dancing, and she was looking forward to going through them with Regina. She pushed her way through the crowd, and it didn't take long before she caught up with Regina. She was standing in the hallway and was rubbing a hand over her forehead.

"That was awesome," Emma said proudly but then added: "you okay?"

"_Sí. _Too much spinning I think," Regina said lightly and used her hand to fan herself.

"Are you dizzy?" Emma guessed and automatically put a hand on the small of Regina's back.

"A little bit," Regina said dissatisfied. "How annoying."

"Let's get you out of that tight dress," Emma said firmly.

Regina laughed and smoothened a hand over her sleek bun. "Any excuse to take off my clothes, huh, _señorita Swan_?"

Emma laughed because she knew Regina was joking. "Yeah, totally. You got me. That's the only reason. Not because I'm worried about you or anything. You've got me figured out."

"I knew it," Regina snickered, and Emma noted that she sounded a bit tired.

"Come on, beautiful girl." Emma said gently, using the hand on Regina's lower back to steer Regina towards the dressing room. "You've done your thing tonight. Now it's time to relax."

"I have a shift at the bar tomorrow night," Regina said and sounded slightly defeated. "Explain to me how I'm supposed to stay awake for that?"

"Easy. I'll go with you and entertain you, so you don't fall asleep," Emma joked.

Regina laughed, but it was a frustrated kind of laugh. "_¿Por qué estoy tan cansado todo el tiempo?_"

"Huh?"

"I said... why am I so tired all the time?"

"Oh. It...comes with the condition, I'm afraid."

"_Maravillosa_," Regina said tightly.

"I'm sorry," Emma said softly.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. Though I could think of someone else to blame," Regina mumbled, and they both knew that she was thinking about Robin.

"Dickhead," Emma said plainly and hoped she could earn herself a smile from Regina.

She earned herself more than just that. Regina let out a clear and sweet pearly laughter. "_Sí_, that is a very fitting description, _querida_." She slipped an arm around Emma and gave a gentle little squeeze.

Emma laughed and brought her free hand up to caress Regina's cheek once.

Another smile was earned at that, and Regina gave her another little squeeze.

They reached Regina's dressing room, and Emma's intention had been to guide Regina into the plushy chair and then maybe jokingly kneel down and relieve Regina of her shoes while making some joke about Cinderella. That had been her general plan, but she met obstacles. She couldn't guide Regina into the plushy chair. Because there was already someone sitting in the plushy chair. A woman with dark brown hair that hung perfectly curled around her face. A woman wearing a "power suit". Pin striped pencil skirt with matching blazer and a crisp, white blouse underneath. A woman with dark eyes and lips painted red in that dark shade Regina also favored.

Regina's posture immediately changed from playful to guarded. Emma could feel how her entire body tensed as she freed herself from Emma's arms. Her mouth twisted into the slightest of scowls. "Mother," she said quietly.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations=

¡Este es terrible!"= this is terrible!

Tan posesivo= so possesive

¿Me vas a castigar?= Are you going to punish me?


	8. Chapter 8

"Good evening, Regina, dear," Regina's mother said with a thin, fake smile.

"Mother," Regina said dully once more.

"Don't pout dear," the older woman said. "It doesn't suit you." Her dark eyes wandered to Emma, and her voice was honey sweet with faux kindness when she said: "and who might you be, dear?"

"Mother, this is Emma Swan. Emma, this is my mother Cora Mills," Regina quickly introduced.

"Really dear, there's no reason to sound so unenthusiastic," Cora scolded and raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive me, mother, but I didn't expect to find you in my dressing room tonight," Regina said with ice cold politeness.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? You weren't answering your phone, dear," Cora said unbothered.

Regina muttered something incoherent.

Cora ignored that and turned to Emma again. "So you are the American tourist my daughter claims to be so...fond of."

"Yep, that's me," Emma said simply. She already had some experience with bullying mothers thanks to her dear sweet ex-mother in law, Milah Gold, and she refused to be bullied by Regina's mother.

"_¿Qué estás haciendo aquí, Madre?_" Regina asked tiredly.

Cora Mills clicked her tongue. "Regina, please speak English. You'll end up forgetting the language entirely if you continue with all that Spanish. English is an important language. Don't forget that, dear."

Regina's jaw tightened a bit. "What are you doing here, Mother?"

"I wanted to see my daughter," Cora huffed. "Is that a problem now?"

"Did you see me dance tonight?" Regina asked and shifted a bit.

Now Cora's jaw was tightening a bit. "No, dear, I did not. I don't feel comfortable with witnessing all those men gathering around you like you're some kind of...prey."

Regina sighed and rolled her eyes a bit. "The last time I checked, I'm not a stripper, Mother. I'm a dancer."

"A dancer," Cora repeated, and that one little word was practically dripping with sarcasm. Her dark eyes wandering to the tight front of Regina's dress, and her mouth was drawn into a scowl when she continued: "Really dear, do you think all those men are here to see you dance?"

"I'm wearing a costume, Mother," Regina said tiredly. "A professional costume. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But there is something wrong with leaving everything on display for everyone to see, dear. You really must think of what kind of signals you're sending out."

"As far as I know, no one attempted to stick money down my top," Regina snipped.

Cora's eyes glazed over with anger. "Must you be so vulgar, Regina?"

Regina ignored that. "What do you want, Mother? Apart from insulting me, obviously."

"I'm not insulting you, dear. I'm looking out for you. I'm your mother. I'd hate to see you hurt."

"Yes, well, as you can see, I'm doing perfectly fine, so you can leave now."

"Regina!" Cora chided. "There's no reason to be so rude!"

"There was no reason to show up in my dressing room like this."

"Well, you didn't answer your phone," Cora pointed out. "I was worried about you. Your father was worried about you."

"I talked to Daddy yesterday."

"Did you? He didn't tell me that."

"I can't imagine why. Perhaps he was trying to give me a break."

Emma shifted uncomfortably. Cora Mills was one intense woman, and she was starting to see what Regina was talking about.

And Regina and Cora continued to stare each other down like they were animals trying to find their opponents weaknesses and not mother and daughter.

Emma was literally just waiting for one them to explode when Cora suddenly and with ice cold politeness asked: "when are you coming for dinner, dear?"

"I don't know," Regina said shortly. "I have a busy schedule."

"Too busy to visit your parents?"

"I'm working, Mother."

"At that...bar," Cora sneered. "I must say I'm surprised you haven't found anything else."

"I like working at the bar."

Cora scoffed. "Honestly, Regina. You're twenty years old. You're an adult. When are you gonna quit these foolish jobs and go back to school?"

"I was thinking next summer, Mother," Regina said, and Emma had no idea how she managed to not explode and scream in her mother's face.

"And what might I ask, are you planning on doing until then?" Cora asked. She was clearly not satisfied with Regina's answer.

"I'm planning on working, Mother. Earn money."

"For what, pray tell?" Cora said arrogantly. "Cigarettes, perhaps? You know how I feel about that horrible habit, dear."

"I'm not smoking anymore, Mother," Regina replied, and Emma saw how she gnashed her teeth. "I'm actually planning on saving up the money to a plane ticket to the us so I can go and visit Emma."

"How...sweet," Cora said and sounded like she didn't find it sweet at all. She looked at Emma once more. "And what is it you do for a living, miss Swan?"

"I'm a photographer," Emma said truthfully.

Cora's eyebrow nearly disappeared into her hairline. "A photographer? How nice. Well, I'm sure that's a very...giving job."

"Mother!" Regina said sharply.

But Emma ignored the tone and gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "Yeah, it is. I love my job."

Now Cora was definitely unimpressed. "I see. And how did you and my daughter meet?"

"I saw Regina dance one night, we started talking and I knew I had to see her again," Emma said and flashed Regina a smile.

Regina smiled back.

"I see. You saw her... dance." Cora's voice was like steel, and it was easy to figure out what she thought about that. "And where do you live, dear?" she continued.

"Storybrooke."

"Storybrooke?" Cora repeated, wrinkling her nose. "I've never heard of that. Where is that?"

"It's in Maine," Emma told her.

"Maine," Cora said. "I see. It must be a very small town."

"Is there something you want, Mother?" Regina cut in. "Emma and I are about to leave. It's been a long day."

"You don't look well, dear," Cora said and ignored Regina's attempt at getting her to leave. "You're too pale. And it looks like you've lost weight."

"I'm fine," Regina dismissed.

"I don't think so. It's this lifestyle you insist upon living. Dancing and working as a barmaid. It's not healthy, Regina. You're not taking care of yourself."

"I'm living a perfectly healthy life, Mother, and I'm getting plenty of fruit and vegetables, so you don't need to worry," Regina said sharply.

Cora sneered at her daughter once more. "Don't take that tone with me, Regina. You know I don't like that. I'm your mother. Of course I worry about you."

Regina didn't comment on that. "What do you want, Mother?"

Cora finally got up from the chair. "It would be nice if you came for dinner once in a while, dear. Your father misses you."

"Daddy knows where I live, and he's always welcome to stop by. He knows that," Regina said tightly.

"Isn't your childhood home good enough for you anymore, dear?" the older Mills asked. "Surely, you don't prefer that little place you call an apartment, do you?"

"At least the air is clean in my apartment," Regina said flatly.

Cora sneered now. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Regina didn't answer that. Instead she told her mother: "I don't want to argue with you in front of my girlfriend. She doesn't deserve to witness that. If daddy wants to stop by, he's more than welcome to do so."

There was a pause after that. One where mother and daughter just glared at one another. Finally, Cora asked: "what is it with you? Why are you acting like this, Regina? I've done nothing to deserve such disrespectful treatment from you. I'm just trying to look out for you."

Regina practically scoffed.

"That's very immature, dear," Cora said and sneered with disdain. "Don't you think it's about time you grow up?"

"And by grow up you mean get another job and another place to live and attend Sunday dinners at my childhood home where I sit tight and smile and pretend that you haven't been treating daddy terribly?"

"So this is about your father," Cora sighed and shook her head.

"Yes, it's about daddy!" Regina hissed. "How can you expect me to pretend we're one big happy family when you're the one who's in the middle of destroying it?!"

Cora's mouth was a thin line when she answered: "I don't think I'm obliged to explain my actions to you, Regina."

"But you expect me to act like nothing has happened," Regina shot back.

"I'm expecting you to not act like a child," Cora said sternly. "Your father is the one who wants us to have a family dinner before I go to New York."

"I doubt that," Regina spat. "Unless he's been possessed. Or did you threaten him again? You're good at that!"

Cora's heels clacked as she quickly crossed the floor, and she was practically in Regina's face when she said: "now, let me tell you something, young lady-"

"Hey!" Emma barked at Cora. In the blonde's opinion, Cora Mills was standing far too close to her daughter, and Emma had absolutely no problem with getting involved in a family discussion. Nor would she have any problem with physically showing Cora Mills the door if it was necessary.

Cora practically glared at Emma now, but Emma didn't give two shits about that. She wasn't afraid of Cora. The only thing she was afraid of was the fact that Cora looked like she had been on the verge of doing something physical to her daughter.

"Could you leave?" Regina said plainly to her mother. "I've had a long night, and I'm tired."

"Tired?" Cora repeated with a sneer. "You are too young to be tired, dear. But perhaps you're hung over? Is that why you're being so unreasonable tonight?"

"I think you should leave now," Regina said firmly. "I'm in no mood to fight with you tonight."

Cora sneered again, and her high, sharp heels clacked once more as she went towards the door. "I didn't come here to fight with you, Regina. I came here to ask you to act like a caring daughter and come to dinner for once. But clearly, you're not quite mature enough to do that."

Emma had expected that to be the end of that little confrontation, but Cora Mills lingered and kept looking at her daughter.

"What?" Regina asked and for the first time she sounded a bit insecure.

"Nothing dear. Nothing at all," Cora said stiffly. "Well, I'll be going. I had hoped we could talk like adults tonight, Regina, but clearly not. I must say I'm quite disappointed." She looked back up at Emma. "Goodbye, miss Swan. Have a nice trip back to Maine."

With that salute Cora Mills left the dressing room and slammed the door behind her.

"Give my best to Pablo!" Regina yelled sarcastically to the closed door. "Maybe you should be having dinner with HIM instead!" she went over and slammed the door to the dressing room shut. "_Dame fuerza! Mierda!_" her cheeks were stained red with anger as she turned around and looked back at Emma. "Well, that was my mother."

"Yeah, I..." Emma shook her head. "Holy..."

"Yeah," Regina said. "Now you've met her, so now you know what I'm talking about."

"She's scary," Emma said spontaneously and immediately regretted it.

Regina laughed dryly. "Yeah. That she is. Now you see why I can't possibly tell her what's going on?"

Emma could. With a mother who was as difficult as Cora Mills seemed to be, she could so very well understand why Regina couldn't tell that she was pregnant.

Regina sighed. "She'll kill me if she finds out. But I'm not sure how I can hide the truth from her for nine months."

Neither was Emma, and she settled for taking Regina's hand and giving it a little squeeze.

"And now I feel nauseous. How delightful," Regina stated plainly. Then she laughed bitterly. "And the funny thing is, that she wasn't even that bad tonight."

"Not that bad?!" Emma hissed.

"No, she could have been so much worse," Regina said as she sat down heavily in the plushy chair and hid her face in her hands as she breathed in and out through her nose.

"You okay?" Emma asked concerned.

"_Sí_, I'm just nauseous. It'll pass in a moment," Regina said a bit muffled from behind her hands.

"Okay. Do you want me to do anything, or do you just want me to go away?" Emma asked.

Regina laughed croakily. "I don't want you to go anywhere."

"I'm happy to hear that, honey."

"Honey?" Regina echoed, less muffled now. "I like it."

"Good. It just slipped out," Emma admitted.

Regina inhaled and exhaled and then muttered: "I didn't like the way she looked at me. She knows that something is up."

"Honey, she can't possibly know," Emma said quickly. "You're only six weeks along. No one can see anything."

"Yet," Regina said gravely. "But they will. What am I supposed to do then? Hide in baggy sweatshirts? That's not gonna work. She'll find out. One way or another." She sighed gravely from behind her hands. "_Dios, que desastre!_"

Emma crouched down and began to draw gentle circles on Regina's knee.

"She gets to me," Regina mumbled behind her hands. "She always knows exactly what to say to get on my nerves! She didn't come here tonight because of my father! She came because it's been too long since she last kept tabs on me!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Emma said softly and moved her hands lower to Regina's ankles so she could slip off her shoes.

Regina moved her hands away from her face and inquired: "what are you doing, _querida_?"

"Helping where I can?" Emma said goofily.

Regina offered a slight chuckle. "You know, I am capable of taking off my own shoes."

"I know you are. But that doesn't mean you should," Emma snickered as she took off Regina's other shoe.

"Mmm," Regina said again and wiggled her feet. "My poor feet. How long will it be before they get swollen and all that?"

"Not until second trimester," Emma told her.

"Oh. I really have to read up on all that stuff," Regina said and wiggled her feet once more.

"You have time."

"Not that much," Regina sighed. "Next week I'll be having that ultrasound. It'll become more real then."

Emma gave her knee a soft squeeze. "I know."

"At least I won't be there alone," Regina softly continued. "That's something."

"It is," Emma agreed, squeezing Regina's knee again.

"We were having such a nice evening," Regina said a bit sadly. "And now Mother's ruined it."

"Only if we let her, beautiful girl," Emma said gently.

"I need a cigarette," Regina stated plainly. "Or a drink. That's how I normally deal with her. Getting drunk is what works."

Emma's heart broke a little for the younger woman. "How about some kissing instead?" she suggested. "I think that'll be more distracting than drinking. Lots of kissing. And whatever else the night might bring."

Regina genuinely laughed now. "I like that suggestion, Em-ma. Just give me a moment to get changed." She stood from the plushy chair and seemed a little unsteady on her legs for a second. "Whoops."

"You need a hand?" Emma immediately offered.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded," Regina said as she reached within the bag of clothes and found a denim skirt, a tanktop and the ragged denim jacket she so often wore. "Unlace me?" she asked sweetly as she looked at Emma over her shoulder.

"Always," Emma said with a smile. "Come here."

Regina willingly came over to Emma and turned around.

Emma immediately began working the strings in Regina's dress. She felt ridiculously relived when the strings came loose, and she could expose Regina's back. Emma had a nasty inkling that the dress had been too tight and that was why Regina had been feeling lightheaded. And Regina's next statement backed up that theory.

"Ahh. That's better," the young brunette said and shifted a bit.

"Mmm." Emma said. How was she supposed to tell Regina that she worried about her tight dresses?

Regina shifted again as Emma undid the rest of the strings in the dress and then planted a light kiss on her exposed back. She couldn't resist.

Regina 'mmm'ed' now and then accused: "you are very distracting, Em-ma."

"I am, aren't I?" Emma teased as she pushed the dress off of Regina's shoulders. The red flamenco dress fell to the floor, and Regina chuckled as she stepped out of it.

Emma had to take an extra breath. Regina was wearing a pair of thin panties and absolutely nothing else. She never wore a bra underneath her flamenco dresses. It would look silly, she claimed, and right now, Emma was ever so grateful for that. "Now who's being distracting?" Emma teased.

Regina snickered. "You are welcome to wait outside while I change, Em-ma."

Emma huffed. "And miss the reversed striptease? No way!"

Regina laughed again and shook her head slightly. Then she reached back and unfastened the bun in her hair. Her dark locks spilled down her back, and Emma did her utmost not to let her thoughts wander to naughty places. She had to focus on what had just happened. She had just met Regina's mother, and she was some woman. Controlling and quite vicious towards her daughter. Emma felt a wave of anger. Some of the things Cora Mills had said to her daughter had been straight up nasty. But what was almost worse than that, was the fact that Regina acted like it was no big deal. She was used to it. She was used to her mother stopping by and dumping shit on her occasionally.

"Mmm, much better," Regina said, and Emma snapped out of it and looked at Regina. She was now dressed in the denim skirt, tanktop and ragged denim jacket. Her makeup was still dark and intense, but she had removed the rose from her hair.

"You look nice," Emma said with a smile.

"Thanks, _querida_," Regina said lightly and seemed to be quelling a sigh. "I feel completely drained."

"You need to rest, beautiful girl."

"I don't. I need a repeat performance of what happened on the couch this morning," Regina said frankly.

"Oh," Emma grinned. "Well, that could be arranged, beautiful girl. If we reverse things a bit."

"Reverse?"

"Mmm. You in my place," Emma clarified with a big grin.

Regina bit her lip and her eyes glazed over with something that could only be described as arousal. "I shouldn't be hormonal already," she complained. "It's too early."

But Emma just grinned. "I'm glad I have that effect on you, honey."

"The week you weren't here was torture," Regina said simply. "In many ways."

"It was," Emma agreed. "Which is why I'll never be going home again. Period."

"You are silly," Regina said gently. "You can't stay here forever."

"Says who?"

"Says I."

Emma pulled the younger woman closer. "And who says you're the boss, beautiful girl?"

Regina snickered and planted a kiss on Emma's neck. "I can be pretty bossy, _querida_."

"I'm sure you can. Wanna go home and show me?"

"Absolutely."

And so the two women left the dressing room in a hurry...

A little while later found the two women back on the couch. Huddled together on the blanket and naked as jaybirds once more. Emma had never been more comfortable in her whole life as she was right here, lying on Regina's leather couch with Regina on top of her. They hadn't spoken for a while, and if it hadn't been for the way Regina kept pressing small kisses to her collarbone, Emma would have assumed that Regina had fallen asleep. She ran her fingers through Regina's dark locks which weren't slick anymore, but frizzy after their activities on the couch.

Emma sighed a bit to herself. Those were some delicious couch activities. Some she wouldn't mind repeating tomorrow and the day after that. There was a fair chance that she was a bit addicted to those kind of activities. Emma shivered a bit as she thought of Regina's hands on her body. The way she had touched, caressed. The way she already knew exactly how to touch Emma. How to make her moan and squirm and finally send her hurling over the edge. Emma couldn't quite quell a sigh as she thought of the sounds Regina had made. Those Spanish words combined with a steady chorus of 'Em-ma-Em-ma-Em-ma!'. It was hard not to get an over inflated ego. It was hard not to feel like some sort of femme fatale. She choked back a grin. Now there was a phrase she thought she would never use about herself. And maybe Regina was more of a femme fatale than Emma was. That was okay, though. Regina was one hell of a femme fatale. And especially tonight in her red flamenco dress with those dark red lips and dark eye makeup. If Emma didn't know Regina and knew the gentle creature beneath the dark makeup and impressive dress, she would have been quite intimidated by Regina. She gently combed her fingers through Regina's hair, but this time Regina didn't respond to it. She was actually starting to feel a bit heavy on top of her, and Emma thought to herself that they should go to bed. It was getting a bit late. And Regina had stopped pressing kisses to her collarbone. Maybe she had fallen asleep. If that was the case, Emma would have no problem with carrying the younger woman to bed. She had done that before.

Emma ran her fingers through Regina's dark locks again. "Gina?"

No reaction.

Emma tried again. This time she gave Regina's bare shoulder a gentle caress. "Gina? Sweetheart?"

"Mmph," Regina said muffled against her chest.

"Had you fallen asleep? I'm sorry I had to wake you, but I think it would be better to go to bed."

"_No estaba dormido_."

"Huh?"

"Oh. Sorry. I wasn't asleep," Regina translated, voice still muffled because she was talking into Emma's collarbone. "I was just thinking."

"Oh? What were you thinking about?" Emma inquired and ran her fingers through Regina's hair again.

"Child birth," Regina said simply.

"Oh. Okay?" Emma gently prompted. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

Without lifting her head, Regina reached back and grasped the blanket. She tugged it up so both of them were sufficiently shielded. "My mother was in labor for thirty two hours when she gave birth to me. She has always made a point of telling me how much pain she was in." she sighed a little. "There was a time where she said that the first thing I did, was causing her pain. I used to think she was joking, but now I don't think she was."

"That's an awful thing to say!" Emma growled, arms automatically wrapping around Regina.

"How am I supposed to handle being in labor for thirty two hours?" Regina asked. "And just giving birth in general. Ever since I became a teenager, my mother has been entertaining me with how terrible labor and childbirth is. How it's not for 'the fainthearted' as she puts it. Apparently, I was a terribly hard birth. I was breached and she lost a lot of blood. She has always made it sound like she was close to dying. Maybe she was."

Emma could feel how she was seething with anger. "Well, not two births are the same, beautiful girl. And I kinda wanna hit your mom with a wet fish for painting such a horrible picture."

Regina snickered a bit. "A wet fish?"

"I said what I said."

Regina snickered again. "I'm sure there are ways to get over being afraid of getting birth. Perhaps I should sign up for those Lamaze classes when the time comes."

"Oh no, not without me!" Emma groaned. "I wanna come too! You can't go alone! You need a partner for that sort of thing."

Regina snickered. "You wanna go to Lamaze classes with me?"

"Hell yes," Emma said and gave her a little squeeze. "I'm actually planning on coming to Spain when you reach week 35 and then not move an inch until it's time."

Regina snickered softly once more.

But Emma wasn't messing around. "I mean it. I'm not risking missing out on the birth."

"I'll keep it in until you get here," Regina joked, voice muffled again and words a bit thick. She was clearly getting sleepy.

"Come on, beautiful girl," Emma said softly and wiggled a bit. "Let's get you to bed."

"Mmm, can't we just sleep here?" Regina mumbled lazily and without moving.

Emma laughed gently. "I don't think so. It'll kill my back. And yours. Come on. If you're too tired to walk, I'll carry you."

"Let's not be silly," Regina mock huffed as she scrambled off of Emma. "Of course I can walk. I'm not an invalid."

"Of course not," Emma said as she sat up in the couch. The view had never been better as she watched the very naked Regina walk through the apartment. She disappeared into the bathroom, and Emma heard the sound of water running as Regina brushed her teeth.

Emma took the opportunity to stand from the couch and walk into Regina's little bedroom. She unceremoniously flopped down on Regina's bed. She didn't bother to put on any pajamas. It was too warm for that. She rubbed a hand over her face and reminded herself to call her parents tomorrow. She hadn't been very good at calling them since she arrived in Madrid. But she would make up for that tomorrow.

Emma could feel how the sleepiness was spreading through her body, but she forced herself to stay awake until Regina came to bed. She liked the idea of them going to sleep together. Even if it was a little silly. She wiggled her toes in an attempt to stay awake, and for whatever reason, she ended up thinking about Cora Mills. That woman was difficult to put it mildly, and maybe Emma had been all jokes when she said that about the wet fish, but in reality, she was very prepared to go to war with Regina's mother if it was necessary. She wasn't gonna let her hurt Regina. Emma huffed in the faint light. She might not be of Spanish descent, but she definitely had a temper that could match Regina's any day.

Speaking of Regina... that particular floorboard in the hallway creaked and revealed that Regina was on her way. And it didn't take many seconds before the younger woman appeared in the doorway. Her hair had been brushed and arranged in a side braid. Her makeup had been scrubbed off, and she looked as young and fresh faced as ever. She flashed Emma a slight smile as she climbed into bed.

"Tired?" Emma asked as she nuzzled her nose against the nape of Regina's neck.

"_Sí_. But actually I feel kind of sick," Regina muttered as she curled up in the bed.

"Oh no. Did you throw up?" Emma asked gently.

"No. It's not that kind of sick," Regina mumbled. "It's the kind of sick I always feel whenever I see my mother."

"Oh," Emma said softly and automatically wiggled a bit closer to Regina. "Is there... Is there something I can do for you?"

"You're here. That's enough for me," Regina said simply. "Goodnight, _querida_."

"Goodnight, beautiful girl. Sleep well."

"How could I do anything but?" Regina sleepily joked as she nuzzled her cheek against Emma's shoulder...

Emma felt pathetically disappointed the next morning when she woke up and found the Regina-shaped space in the bed empty. The blonde sat up and pushed hair away from her face. "Regina?"

No answer. But she could hear the telltale sound of retching in the bathroom. Oh.

Emma climbed out of bed, grabbed the duvet and wrapped it around herself. She managed to stumble on her way to the bathroom door, but she didn't fall face first. Still, Regina knew that she was there. "_¡Estoy bien!_" she half-yelled through the closed door. "I'll be out in a second!"

"You all good in there?" Emma asked ridiculously.

"Yeah, I'm just having fun with the morning sickness," Regina said a bit sardonically. "Could you please go away for a second? I don't want you to hear it!"

Emma moved away from the door, but it was impossible not to hear the retching from the bathroom. Emma's mouth twisted a bit. Poor Regina. It wasn't fair that she had to start all her mornings like this.

Emma went into the kitchen. Figuring Regina would like a bit of tea, she went over to the kettle and got it going. That was when she spotted the big book lying on the kitchen table. Emma looked at it. It was a pregnancy book. And not just that. It appeared to be a right "pregnancy encyclopedia". After a bit more exploring, Emma found out that this book was more than four hundred pages long. Wow. That was some pregnancy book. And it was clearly a new book. The price sticker was still on. Had Regina been out earlier?

Before Emma could get the chance to wonder further about that, the door to the bathroom opened, the floorboard creaked and then Regina appeared in the kitchen. Fully dressed in a light yellow sundress that looked amazing on her.

"Good morning," Emma smiled.

"_Hola, querida_," Regina softly greeted. "Are you making tea?"

"I am," Emma confirmed. "In the mood for breakfast today?"

"Hmm," Regina wrinkled her nose slightly. "I suppose a slice of toast won't do any harm."

"Happy to hear that. I like when you eat," Emma joked and then glanced at the pregnancy book lying on the kitchen table. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that book was there yesterday, was it?"

"It wasn't," Regina said briskly. "I woke up early and started to think of all the things I don't know. I guess you could say I was panicking a little, so I went to the nearest bookstore and bought myself a good old pregnancy book. And when I came back, I called a doctor. Not our family physician, but someone who has a clinic downtown. I don't want to go to our family physician. He's as thick as thieves with my mother. I don't wanna risk her finding out via that channel-"

"You're speed talking, beautiful girl," Emma gently interrupted. "Slow down. Breathe."

"Right." Regina took a deep breath and blushed a bit. "_Lo siento_."

"Don't apologize, sweetheart," Emma said as she gently cupped Regina's elbows. "Are you okay?"

"I am," Regina nodded and bit her lip a little. "I suppose I'm just freaking out because talking to the secretary at the clinic made everything so real. All the talk about sonograms and prenatal vitamins..." she shook her head. "It was just a lot."

"I get it," Emma said softly and drew Regina a bit closer. "You're overwhelmed and that's completely fine."

"I have to stop being overwhelmed all the time," Regina said firmly. "This is my life now, and I have to accept that. I can't pretend that it's not there."

"You're allowed to need more time to come to terms with this."

Regina scoffed a bit. "I can barely say the word, Em-ma."

"You don't need to if you're not ready to."

Regina sighed. "My mother is right. I need to grow up."

"Hey now," Emma said and put a finger under Regina's chin so she could look her in the eyes. "You are grown up. And you're handling this better than most people."

"I don't think I am," Regina muttered.

"Well, I'm here to tell you you're wrong," Emma said, opting for a humorous approach.

And thankfully, it worked. Regina chuckled lightly and straightened her posture slightly. "At least I made an appointment to go to the doctor. And I even bought some prenatal vitamins on my way home from the bookstore."

"See, you're totally acing this," Emma said and gave Regina's back a soft rub. "Handling things like a proper adult. Don't let your mother get to you, Regina. You're doing awesome."

"Yeah?" Regina said, mouth curling up in a tiny smile.

"Absolutely," Emma assured and surprised Regina by lifting her, so her feet were dangling a few inches above the floor.

Regina squealed slightly in protest. "Em-ma! Put me down!"

"Why?" Emma teased. "Going somewhere?"

At that moment, Regina's stomach answered the question by rumbling loudly.

"Oh," Emma grinned. "You're hungry, huh?"

"Apparently, yes," Regina said a bit surprised. "I was sick a minute ago. I don't get it."

"The mysteries of-" Emma didn't finish the sentence and instead put Regina down on the floor.

"Pregnancy?" Regina quietly finished the sentence and bit her lip a little.

"You said it," Emma smiled. "Good job."

"First time for everything," Regina half-joked. "I suppose I have to get better at saying the word. Are you hungry?"

"Obviously," Emma said. "Always am. You know that."

Regina opened the fridge. "I'm in the mood for some bacon. Would you be interested in that?"

Emma snickered. "Hell yes."

"Bacon it is then," Regina said briskly as she found a pack of just that. "Could you find the frying pan for me?"

"Sure." Emma quickly found the frying pan and got the stove up and running. "How's the morning sickness?"

"Gone," Regina said, and then her stomach was growling again.

"Wow. Someone's really hungry," Emma said warmly, glad that Regina was feeling better and less insecure of everything.

"Not my fault," Regina said a bit halfheartedly.

"Anyway," Emma said and adjusted the duvet where it was nearly sliding off her body. "What day are we going to the doctor?"

"Uhh, Thursday at ten," Regina said and wiggled past Emma so she could put the bacon on the frying pan. "That's okay with you, right? I figured it would be better to just get it over with."

"You're right," Emma said and slipped an arm around Regina's waist as they helped each other made breakfast.

"I'm so glad you're going to be there with me, _querida_," Regina said softly.

"That I am," Emma said firmly. "You can count on that." She didn't know what kind of emotions getting the first ultrasound would awaken in Regina, but she did know that she would support the younger woman through every single one of them.

"So?" Regina asked as she elegantly flipped the bacon on the frying pan. "What do you want to do today, _querida_?"

"Hmm," Emma said, considering for a second. "How about we head back to that little park we found the last time? We could make a picnic basket and hang out there for a while."

"That sounds good," Regina smiled. "The perfect afternoon."

"Definitely," Emma agreed.

"I'll try not to fall asleep this time," Regina joked.

"I don't mind if you do," Emma shrugged. "But I will take pictures of you."

"While I'm sleeping?" Regina asked, sounding mildly horrified.

"Mhmm. You look so beautiful when you sleep."

"Bull," Regina said with a chuckle. "I look like a right mess when I sleep."

"No, you don't," Emma said firmly. "You look beautiful. You always do."

"Please remember to say that a lot when I reach the watermelon state," Regina said a bit sardonically.

"You'll look beautiful then," Emma assured. "The world most beautiful watermelon."

"Emma!" Regina scolded, but she was laughing at the same time, and then she was shoving Emma.

"Hey, careful!" Emma mock whined.

Regina laughed as she gave Emma another shove. A slightly harder one. One that meant that the duvet Emma had wrapped herself in ended up on the kitchen floor. And Emma ended up standing stark naked in the middle of the kitchen.

"Oh!" the blonde said, surprised over this unexpected development.

"Oh indeed," Regina drawled, and her voice dropped several octaves as she looked at Emma's naked body. "Maybe you should go and put on some clothes, _querida_."

"And why is that?" Emma teased.

"You're distracting me. I'll end up having something for breakfast that isn't food."

"Well, if that isn't...distracting," Emma said and had to clear her throat. "Right, I'll just... put on some clothes."

"Good idea, _querida_," Regina chuckled. "I really can't concentrate when you're naked. I could end up burning the bacon."

"And obviously, we can't have that," Emma said as she bent down and grabbed the duvet which had fallen to the floor.

Regina groaned audibly at that.

Emma snickered. "Tell me, sweetheart, should I walk away fast or slowly?"

"I can't decide," Regina groaned. "Just... just go, okay?"

And so Emma laughed her head off while she headed into the bedroom to get dressed. Once she reached her destination, she popped her head out of the door and asked: "any chance you wanna come in here and watch my reverse striptease?"

"Can't," Regina half-yelled. "I don't have as much willpower as you, _querida_. And the bacon will end up burning."

"Good forbid that should happen," Emma laughed as she opened her suitcase and found a sundress and a pair of panties. Today was gonna be a good day. She could feel it.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Dame fuerza!= give me strenght!

Mierda!= Shit!

Dios, que desastre!= God, what a mess!

No estaba dormido= I was not asleep.

¡Estoy bien!= I'm fine!


	9. Chapter 9

Emma was the first one to awaken that morning, and she was delighted to discover that Regina was still in bed with her. The younger woman was completely tangled up with the sheets, and the only thing Emma could see was a pillow of dark locks. She chuckled slightly as she ran her fingers through those locks. It broke her heart a little to wake Regina, but she had no choice. They actually had plans today. Ultrasound plans. They hadn't talked much about it since Regina had booked the appointment. Emma knew that Regina was nervous about it, and she was glad that she could be there with her. Her only regret was that there would be other ultrasound scans where she couldn't be there. She gave Regina a soft nudge. "Gina?"

"Mmph," Regina muttered into the pillow.

Emma chuckled slightly. "You awake?"

"No. _Aún no_." Regina said muffled and burrowed further under the covers.

"You have to wake up, honey," Emma said softly.

"No. I'm so tired!" Regina half-moaned from somewhere under the covers.

Emma chuckled now. "Yeah, me too. Maybe staying up so late last night was a bad idea."

"Was not," Regina said croakily. "Last night was... _Maravillosa_."

"It was," Emma agreed and skimmed a hand up and down Regina's duvet covered back. "I had no idea you were so flexible, beautiful girl."

"I'm full of surprises," Regina said and finally started to sound like she was more awake.

Emma cackled a bit and enjoyed the way her body hummed in appreciation when she thought back to last night.

Regina rolled onto her back and brushed hair away from her eyes. She blinked slightly as she focused her gaze on the ceiling.

"Good morning," Emma said softly and took the opportunity to bow her head and plant a kiss on Regina's bare shoulder.

"Good morning," Regina croaked and rubbed a hand over her face. "What time is it?"

"Uhh... seven thirty," Emma said after quickly having checked her phone. "Yep. Seven thirty."

"Urgh," Regina said and scrunched up her nose. "What on earth possessed me to book that appointment at ten? It's too early."

"I'll drive while you sleep," Emma goofily suggested.

Regina cracked a smile. "Thank you, _querida_, but I don't think that's gonna work. You don't know the way."

"I suppose you're right about that," Emma acknowledged.

Regina lifted her head and scrunched up her nose again.

"Nauseous?" Emma said, making an educated guess.

"Mhmm," Regina said airily and rubbed a hand over her face. "I'm not ready for this."

"I know."

"And I don't just mean that's its too early," Regina continued, and her mouth twisted.

"I know that too," Emma said softly and reached out so she could cup Regina's cheek. "It's going to be okay. You won't be alone."

Regina cracked a very slight smile at that, but the wrinkle between her eyes never smoothened out. She continued to look worried and general uncomfortable.

"What if they'll all look at me?" she asked. Her voice was small.

"Who?" Emma asked confused.

"Everyone at the doctor's. What if they'll look at me and just know that I-"

"They won't," Emma said firmly, now brushing her hand over Regina's cheek. "They won't, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Regina sighed. "I'm just being silly and stupid."

"No, you're not."

"And I'm thinking about my mother which sounds weird because we're in bed," Regina continued, clearly opting for humor.

"Try not to," Emma said gently. "This is your life, Regina. She doesn't get to decide anything."

Regina barked out a laugh. "Try telling her that."

"Gladly. I'd be more than happy to have some words with her," Emma said firmly.

"With a wet fish?" Regina quipped lightly and hid a yawn behind her hand.

"With or without a wet fish, beautiful girl. Seriously, I'm not gonna let her say shit to you!"

Regina smiled softly. "Thank you, _querida_. I might have to keep you here permanently."

"Deal," Emma said simply and kissed Regina's shoulder again.

The younger woman snickered. "That would have been glorious."

"It would."

"Do you know..." Regina shifted a bit, so she and Emma were more at eye level. "Do you know when you'll be going back to Maine?"

Emma grew serious. "I have some photo jobs next week I can't push around even though I tried-"

"You what?!" Regina interrupted and stared wide eyed at Emma. "_Dios mio_, Emma! Don't try to push your appointments because of me!"

"I wanted to stay as long as possible!" Emma defended. "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No, but you can't just drop everything. You have a life, _querida_," Regina reminded her.

"You're a part of my life. A pretty fucking huge one."

"As you are a part of mine," Regina smiled. She leaned in and gently bussed Emma on the lips only to immediately wince and say: "oops, sorry. Morning breath."

"I don't mind," Emma chuckled.

"I do," Regina said firmly as she began roaming around in the bed.

"What are you looking for?"

"My panties," she replied and made a triumphant "ha!" sound when she managed to locate said panties.

"Does that mean we're getting out of bed?" Emma asked.

"_Sí_, I probably have to throw up in a moment anyway," Regina said quite bitterly as she slipped the panties back on and then grabbed the t-shirt, she had been wearing to bed last night before things heated up between them. Once she had put on the t-shirt, she slipped out of bed and asked Emma if she wanted anything special for breakfast.

"Some toast is fine," Emma told her as she too located the clothes she had discarded of last night and put it back on.

"You're sure? I could make some bacon," Regina offered.

"No, it's fine. You don't have to spoil me with bacon."

"Sure I do," Regina said briskly. "You spoil me with your delightful presence, so why shouldn't I spoil you with some bacon?"

Emma chuckled but nevertheless didn't hesitate to tell Regina: "being here is not a sacrifice, honey. I'm here because I want too, okay?"

"Okay," Regina parroted and trotted into the kitchen where she began to potter around to make breakfast.

Emma got out of bed and followed her girlfriend into the kitchen. "How's the appetite?"

"I don't think I can eat anything right now," Regina said a bit sheepishly. "I'm too nauseous."

Emma didn't like that. "Some tea then? Please?"

"Some tea," Regina agreed with a slight chuckle. "I'm sure it can't harm."

"It definitely can't, beautiful girl," Emma said softly and made sure to brush a hand over the top of Regina's shoulder as she reached up to the cupboard to grab the tea.

Regina didn't say much as she fiddled around with the toaster and inserted the slices of bread Emma was gonna have for breakfast. She was standing with her back to Emma, and Emma carefully studied her. Regina's shoulders were tight and appeared to be drawn up to her ears. There was no doubt that she was on edge because of the upcoming doctor's appointment, and Emma let tea be tea for a second as she put her hands on Regina's shoulders and gently turned the younger woman around.

"What?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Emma said nothing. She just pulled Regina in for a hug.

Regina automatically returned the hug, but Emma could hear the confusion in her voice as she once again asked: "what?"

"Nothing, I'm just hugging you," Emma informed her.

"Yes, I can feel that," Regina said with a light chuckle. "But...why?"

"Because you need it," Emma said simply.

"I do?"

"You do."

"You're right," Regina surrendered. "Maybe I do."

And so Emma hugged the younger woman sufficiently and so thoroughly, Regina ended up with her feet dangling a few inches above the ground. She chuckled at that, and Emma was relived. She so cherished it when Regina laughed. And she definitely didn't like when that little, worried wrinkle appeared between Regina's eyes. There had been far too much of that lately.

"Are you gonna put me down?" Regina asked, still chuckling and a bit muffled because of the way Emma was hugging her.

"I haven't decided yet," Emma teased. "You sure you're ready to be put down?"

"Your toast will end up burning if you don't," Regina said simply. "And I think that would be a shame, don't you?"

She had a point there. Emma carefully sat the younger woman on her feet again and now worried because she might have squeezed Regina a little bit.

"That was a really nice hug," Regina said warmly. "Thank you."

"What I'm here for, honey," Emma told her.

"That so?"

"Yup. Emma Swan, professional photographer and cuddler."

Regina chuckled again. "Should you ever fall short of photography jobs, you could settle down as a professional cuddler. I believe you would be very good at that."

"Probably," Emma grinned and gave Regina's shoulders a slight squeeze. "Will you be my first client?"

"_Sí. Por supesto_," Regina assured and cursed slightly under her breath as the two slices of toast popped up. "Oh dear, they might be a bit too crispy."

"I like crispy things," Emma said with a slight smirk.

Regina's head whipped around and she mock scowled at Emma as she said: "how did you manage to make that sound lewd?"

Emma smirked at her again. "Special talent, honey."

Regina shook her head in mock disdain. "_Eres traviesa, señorita Swan. Muy travieso_."

"Mhmm," Emma confirmed with a sly grin. "I am."

Regina shook her head again. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"I'm pretty sure you already did everything that can be done last night," Emma said and swallowed hard upon thinking about last night.

"I did, didn't I?" Regina said softly and sighed as she continued: "if only I had the same kind of energy this morning."

"When we get back you can take as many naps as you want."

"That's not very entertaining for you."

Emma huffed. "Excuse me, I had plenty of entertainment last night. You're not the only one who's tired. I'll nap with you."

Regina chuckled meekly. "That sounds nice."

"It does, doesn't it?" Emma said lightly as she resumed the tea making process. Regina saved the two slices of toast. She buttered them whilst cursing about them being burned.

Emma took a second to inspect the slices of toasts and then concluded: "they don't look burned at all to me, beautiful girl."

Regina scowled a little, now muttering something about getting better at cooking.

"You are awesome at cooking!" Emma said firmly and put a hand on Regina's arm. "Where's all of this coming from?"

Regina's mouth twisted slightly. "My mother, probably. A visit from her always takes a little while to get out of my system."

"Of course. I get it," Emma said softly.

"It's silly," Regina muttered and shook her head ever so slightly.

"It's not."

Ignoring that, Regina said: "your toast is done."

"So is your tea. Are you sure there isn't a chance I can coax you into having some breakfast with me?"

"I can't," Regina sighed. "Not today. I'm too nauseous."

"Okay," Emma said gently. "Just tea then."

"Just tea," Regina confirmed. "And these of course." She went to the other cupboard, stood on her tippy toes for a moment as she reached up and grabbed the bottle prenatal vitamins. She popped the lid off the bottle, fished a pill out. Left it on the table for a moment as she poured herself a glass of water. Then she took the pill between her fingers again and looked at it for a second. Shook her head as though she couldn't quite believe that this was her life now. She then took the pill with a mouthful of water.

Emma didn't comment on it. She simply settled for grabbing the plate of toast and bringing it over to the table along with the cup of coffee she had made for herself.

After a moment, Regina came over to the table and settled down next to Emma. She looked at nothing in particular as she took a sip of her tea. She sat the tea cup down and looked down at her hands. "What am I supposed to say if the doctor asks if we 'should wait for daddy' or something like that?"

"You're supposed to say no," Emma said simply.

"They'll ask about the father," Regina said bitterly. "I just know they will!"

"I don't think they will," Emma soothed. "They'll see us together."

"Right," Regina sighed. "I'm not ready for this."

"I know," Emma said softly and slipped an arm around Regina.

Regina shifted a bit. "I suppose I better start checking out some adoption agencies."

"We can do that when we get back."

"I don't even know how that sort of thing works!" Regina said exasperated. "I wasn't exactly counting on-"

"I know that, honey," Emma gently interrupted. "I know you never planned for any of this to happen."

"Do you think I'm selfish?" Regina whispered.

"No, I don't," Emma said firmly. "You're not selfish, Regina. You're fucking brave."

Regina chuckled wetly. "I'm not."

"You are."

Regina ignored that and murmured: "I just want to give the-" her fingers locked around the teacup. She squeezed hard and her knuckles turned white. Then she tried again: "I just want to give the b-baby it's best chance. A good family. One that can give it what it needs. A family that can give it what I can't-"

"Regina, you don't have to justify anything to me," Emma softly interrupted her. "I support you. Completely."

"_Me siento horrible_," Regina said a bit suddenly as she got up from her chair. "I think I'm gonna be sick." Before Emma could say anything, the younger woman rushed off into the bathroom. It was obvious she switched the water on, but Emma could still hear the sound of retching from the bathroom. The blonde grimaced slightly. Poor Regina. Emma was ninety nine percent sure that this was anxiety as well as morning sickness, and she felt beyond tempted to knock on the bathroom door and ask if there was anything she could do. But a second later she heard the sound of the shower being switched on. Emma silently continued eating her breakfast. Regina probably needed some time to herself. Otherwise she would have suggested a co-shower.

A while later, they were both dressed and done up. Emma in a green halter neck dress and plateau sandals, and Regina in a flower patterned mid-thigh skirt and a black tanktop and of course her beloved old denim jacket. She had traded her dance shoes for a pair of ballerinas, and as Emma came out from the bathroom after having tied her hair back in a ponytail, Regina was grabbing a pair of sunglasses from a drawer. She turned around when Emma came into the hallway. "Right, we better get going," she said dully.

"Yeah," Emma said softly. "Do you have everything you need?"

Regina opened her little purse and summarized: "car keys, house keys, sunglasses, money, mint drops. _Sí, _I think I'm good to go."

"Great," Emma said and took Regina's hand as they headed towards the door.

Regina shifted a bit. "I should have worn a different bra."

"Maybe it's time to buy a couple of new ones?" Emma gently suggested. Regina was now seven weeks along, and Emma knew that things would only continue develop from this point.

"Maybe," Regina agreed.

They walked down the stairs and it didn't take long before they found themselves outside in the Spanish sunshine. It really was a beautiful day in Madrid.

"We ought to have another picnic," Emma said.

"Or maybe we could drive up to Marbella one of these days," Regina suggested and clicked her key once to unlock her car. "It's a bit of a long drive, but there's a beautiful beach promenade there. We could take a walk, and you could get some really good pictures."

"That sounds good," Emma said. "Will you pose for me then?"

Regina flashed a smile. "As much as you want, _querida_." She opened the door to the passenger seat for Emma and made this silly little gesture.

Emma chuckled as she elegantly got into the car and purposefully gave Regina an eyeful of her legs, a gesture that made Regina look particularly chuffed as she closed the door behind Emma. She went round the car and then wiggled onto the driver's seat. "Okay. Let's do this thing," she announced almost a bit business like as she inserted the key and twisted it slightly. The engine came alive with a slight sputter, and Regina looked concerned for a second as she said something in Spanish. But after a moment the engine stopped sputtering, and Regina looked quite relieved. "Mind if I switch on the radio?" she asked lightly.

"No. But promise me to sing along," Emma joked.

Regina snickered as she switched the radio on, and she did indeed sing along to whatever Spanish song playing. She elegantly maneuvered the car out of the parking lot, and soon they were on the way to their destination.

About an hour later, Emma and Regina arrived at the clinic where Regina had booked an appointment. Regina didn't say anything as she slipped off her sunglasses and they exited the car and headed towards the clinic.

The first thing they found when stepping inside the clinic was a woman sitting behind a desk. She was typing briskly on a laptop, but she looked up when Emma and Regina approached. She flashed them a kind smile, and Regina walked up to her and said something in Spanish. The woman nodded, smiled and tapped on her computer for a second. Then she looked up at Regina and gestured towards the white hallway.

"We're supposed to go into the waiting room," Regina then mumbled.

"Right," Emma said and took Regina's hand as they headed down the hallway.

Soon they found themselves in the little waiting room. The walls had been painted a bright shade of yellow, there were long and thin white curtains for the window and of course those typical posters you only find in a doctors clinic. There was a water dispenser and an automat which could produce either tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

"Are you thirsty? Do you want me to grab something for you?" Emma offered.

"No thank you," Regina said meekly and grabbed on to one of the magazines lying on the table. She opened it and pretended to read, but it was pretty obvious that she wasn't reading anything.

Emma reached out and gave Regina's hand a soft little squeeze.

Regina reacted by giving a very slight squeeze in return and say: "I hope the ultrasound technician is talking English. But if not, I'll just translate for you, _querida_."

"Thank you," Emma said. "It would be nice to be able to follow the conversation."

"I figured," Regina said and flashed a very slight smile. A pale imitation of the ones she usually flashed Emma.

Emma gave her hand another little squeeze and was just about to interlace their fingers more properly when a low buzzing coming from Regina's purse reached her ear. Regina pulled her hand out of Emma's grasp and thrusted it inside her purse. She found her phone and frowned as she glanced at the screen. "Wow. She really has impeccable timing."

"Your mom?" Emma guessed.

"_Sí_," Regina sighed. "You'd almost think that she has a GPS monitor on me or something." She barked out a humorless laugh.

"It's just a coincidence, beautiful girl," Emma said gently. "A stupid, fucking coincidence, I'll give you that, but nevertheless a coincidence."

"Yeah, I know," Regina nodded. "I'm just being paranoid."

"Are you sure I can't get you something to drink?"

"How about a vodka martini?" Regina joked dryly. "I could really use one of those right now."

"Can't have that right now. Sorry," Emma said with a small grin.

Regina shifted on the uncomfortable plastic chair. "I'm craving a cigarette so much I could die! I've been a smoker since I was seventeen!"

"It's impressive that you just went full cold turkey," Emma said.

"Don't really have much of a choice," Regina said lightly and turned a page in the magazine she was fake reading.

A nurse popped out of an office and called out for a "Mr. Ramirez" and an elderly man sitting close to Emma and Regina got up from his chair and followed the nurse.

Regina's phone started buzzing again, and after having cursed quietly in Spanish, Regina switched the phone off with the words: "too bad I've misplaced my phone. Again."

"She can wait," Emma said softly.

"Yeah, a few hundred years," Regina joked and slipped the phone back inside her purse. She roamed around for a few seconds and then retrieved the little bag of mint pastels she had taken a liking to permanently carry around where ever she went. Emma had seen her munch on them during her shifts at the bar and before and after she had danced. Emma had seen Regina two more times since arriving in Madrid, and to be perfectly honest, she was worried. Regina looked so tired she could keel over after she had danced. Emma knew that Regina's plan was to keep dancing until she became "too heavy", but Emma really hoped that Regina remembered to take care of herself. She couldn't keep doing what she currently did. It wasn't good for her in her state. Emma had several times played with idea to beg Regina to come back to Storybrooke with her and stay for the remaining of her pregnancy. She could take are of Regina. There wouldn't be any screen or ocean between them. They could be together. But Emma knew that Regina never would say yes to that idea.

Another nurse came into the waiting room and asked for "Paula González". A very tall woman sitting in the far corner of the waiting room got up from her chair and followed the nurse.

Regina abandoned her attempt at fake reading the magazine and leaned back in the plastic chair instead. Now and then her foot twitched slightly, and Emma reached out and gently put a hand on her knee. "It's going to be fine."

"_Lo sé_," Regina said quietly. "I don't know why I'm so nervous."

Emma gave her knee a gentle squeeze.

"I'm really glad I'm not here alone," Regina continued and flashed Emma a wobbly little smile.

"I'll never be very far away," Emma assured.

Regina smiled despite the incorrect statement.

More and more people were called in by the nurse, and twenty agonizing minutes later, the first nurse came into the waiting room and said: "Regina Mills?"

"_Sí_," Regina said meekly and stood from her chair. Emma followed suit, and the elderly nurse smiled at both at them as she lead them down the hallway and into an office.

"_El doctor estará aquí en breve_," she said kindly to Regina.

"_Gracias_," Regina said halfheartedly. As soon as the nurse had left, she reached within her purse and took another mint pastel.

Emma once again reached out and took Regina's free hand.

"I have no idea how to do this," Regina openly admitted and swallowed as she looked around in the office. She glanced at the examination table.

"That's okay," Emma said gently.

"Have you ever been to an ultrasound before?" Regina asked, now sounding a bit conversational as though she was trying to distance herself from it all. Like it wasn't her who was about to have that ultrasound.

"No, I actually haven't," Emma said truthfully.

"Oh. I suppose there's a first time for everything." Now Regina was clearly trying her best to joke, so Emma cracked a smile.

Regina shifted on the chair and crossed her legs. Fiddled with the strap on her purse. "The gel is supposed to be pretty cold, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think it is."

"Right." Regina fell into silence again. She bit her lip, and Emma took the opportunity to interlace their fingers. She was sort of playing with Regina's fingers and earned herself a light chuckle from said brunette.

"I'd kiss you but I'm afraid the doctor can walk in at any time," she said.

"And we can't have that," Emma laughed. "Let's save the kisses for later, beautiful girl."

"Sounds good. And apart from that, what would you like to do later?" Regina asked. "Do you want to go out or something?"

"Or we could stay in?" Emma suggested. Honestly, Regina looked like she needed a five hour long nap. "We could hang around and do nothing, and later I could treat you to my awesome spaghetti with meatballs!"

Regina's mouth curved up in a little smile. "That sounds nice too. But shouldn't I be the one cooking for you? You're my guest."

"You cooked for me yesterday. And it was delicious," Emma said firmly. "Let me make something for you for a change. Please?"

"Okay then," Regina chuckled. "I'll look forward to tasting your spaghetti."

"Great!"

Regina went quiet for a moment, but then her eyes suddenly widened as she said: _!Dios mio! _What if there's more than one?!"

"More than one...?"

"Baby," Regina said and looked positively terrified. "What if there's more than one baby?!"

Emma actually hadn't thought of that. But she immediately gave Regina's hand a soothing squeeze. "Is there a history of multiple babies in your family?"

"No..."

"Then there's probably just one, Regina."

"Probably," Regina repeated. "I don't like that word at all."

Before Emma could get the chance to soothe further, the door opened and a tall woman with her black hair gathered in a tight bun came in. She looked like the type of woman Emma could have been afraid of when she was younger. Unbelievably strict looking. A very doctor-y type. But despite her strict appearance she smiled at both of them. "Regina Mills?" she asked.

"_Sí_," Regina said almost timidly. She was clearly intimidated by the doctor.

"_Hola Regina, soy doctora Rivera_," the doctor introduced herself as Regina stood from the chair and extended her hand out to greet the doctor.

"_Encantado de conocerte. ¿Habla usted Inglés? __Mi novia no es fluida en español_." Regina said.

"English is fine," Doctor Rivera said in accented but perfect English. She turned to Emma. "I am Doctor Rivera."

"My name's Emma Swan," Emma said politely and shook hands with the doctor.

Doctor Rivera smiled, sat down behind her desk and then turned her attention back to her patient. "So, Regina. I can understand that you're pregnant?"

"Yes," Regina said almost meekly.

"And do you know how far along you are?" Doctor Rivera asked.

"Seven weeks."

"Okay," Doctor Rivera said. "And is this your first pregnancy?"

Regina blushed. "Yes."

"Alright," the doctor said and turned her attention to her computer for a moment. Then she asked Regina a couple of other questions about her medical history. Pregnancies in the family, had there been any complications such as diabetes, blood clots or pre-eclampsia. Regina answered no to all the questions, and Emma could feel how her hand was getting sweaty.

"Are you taking prenatal vitamins?" Doctor Rivera asked.

"Yes," Regina nodded.

"Excellent. Well, why don't you pop up on the cot so we can get a look at baby?" the doctor said briskly.

"Okay," Regina said quietly and got up from her chair. Her legs appeared to wobble slightly as she staggered over to the examination table.

Doctor Rivera frowned. "Are you alright, miss Mills? If you feel faint, I can get you a glass of water."

"I'm fine," Regina said meekly. "I'm just a little nauseous."

Doctor Rivera nodded. "Are you remembering to eat lots of little meals throughout the day? That really helps with the nausea."

"I haven't had much of an appetite," Regina admitted as she elegantly hopped up on the examination table and lied back.

"That's understandable, but it's important that you remember to eat," the doctor lightly scolded. "Not eating at all can make the nausea worse."

"I know," Regina mumbled.

Emma rose from the plastic chair and walked over to Regina. She took the brunette's hand again.

Doctor Rivera rolled the ultrasound machine over to the examination table. "Alright, miss Mills. If you could just lift up your shirt a little."

Regina lifted her tanktop and bared her flat stomach.

"Thank you," Doctor Rivera said as she came closer with the gel. "This is going to feel a little cold, alright?"

"Okay," Regina said, and the next second her nose scrunched slightly when the doctor spread the cold gel on her stomach.

"Very cold?" Emma asked and gave Regina's hand a gentle squeeze.

"It's not that bad," Regina replied. "It just feels a bit strange."

Emma chuckled lightly. "Yeah."

"Alright. Here we go," Doctor Rivera said as she moved the ultrasound wand around on Regina's now slippery skin.

Emma looked at the image on the screen. She couldn't exactly see anything. At least not what she was supposed to see. Everything looked a bit grainy to her, and she was amazed that there were actually people who knew what to look for.

Regina didn't look at the screen. She looked straight ahead at nothing in particular, and she barely reacted when Emma squeezed her hand again.

"There we are," Doctor Rivera said, breaking the silence as she pointed to the screen. "There's the gestational sac. And there we have the baby."

Emma squinted at the screen. At first, she couldn't really see anything, but then she followed Doctor Rivera's pointing finger to the tiny, grainy little glob on the screen. Was that really the baby? That tiny thing? Emma swallowed hard and wasn't quite capable of naming what she was feeling right now. She involuntarily squeezed Regina's hand.

"Miss Mills?" Doctor Rivera said kindly, and it occurred to Emma that Regina was still staring straight ahead. And she hadn't squeezed back.

"Miss Mills?" the doctor tried again.

Regina slowly turned her head and then glanced at the screen. Her jaw tightened.

"Here you see the baby's head," Doctor Rivera said as she pointed to the screen again. "The heart." She moved her finger just a tad. "And here you see what will develop into being the baby's arms and legs. And the umbilical cord will also start to take shape."

Regina nodded and looked away from the screen again. "And is it okay?" she asked quietly.

"We should be able to hear baby's heartbeat," Doctor Rivera said and moved the ultrasound wand around on Regina's belly again.

Regina groaned slightly. She hadn't been allowed to use the restroom before this, and Emma could imagine that having that ultrasound wand pressing into her belly was a tad uncomfortable.

The doctor's office fell silent as Doctor Rivera moved the ultrasound wand around on Regina's stomach. Regina was staring at the curtains now, distancing herself completely from all of it, and Emma wasn't sure what she could or should do to help. She squeezed Regina's hand again, and this time she received a tiny squeeze in return. She placed her free hand on Regina's shoulder, and Regina turned her head and flashed the blonde a faint smile. Definitely not a real Regina-smile, but nevertheless a smile. Emma fought the urge to bend down and peck Regina's forehead. She looked so vulnerable and small as she lied there on the examination table. Several years younger than she was. Emma squeezed her hand again and mouthed: "okay?"

Regina mustered up another smile and the faintest of nods. She was definitely putting on a brave face right now.

_Thump-thump-thump-thump._

Emma quite literally had to bite back a gasp as she heard what to her sounded exactly like a galloping horse. The sound was loud and fast. She glanced at the grainy image on the screen again. It seemed impossible that such a tiny thing was capable of making so much noise.

"There we have the baby's heartbeat," Doctor Rivera smiled. "Strong and healthy."

Regina didn't react to that, and when Emma looked at her again, she was horrified to discover that Regina was crying. She wasn't making a sound. She was just lying still while the tears kept coming.

Emma quickly turned her full her attention to Regina and ignored Doctor Rivera's presence as she brought Regina's hand up to her lips and gently kissed it. "Oh, sweetheart..."

"I don't know why," Regina croaked and still refused to look at the screen.

"Don't worry," Doctor Rivera said kindly. "It's perfectly normal to feel emotional, miss Mills."

Regina shook her head and whispered: "_Lo estoy dando para adopción._"

Emma might not fully have understood that, but she got the jest of it, and she squeezed Regina's hand tightly once more.

And doctor Rivera didn't judge. She simply said: "I see. I understand."

Regina dared another look at the screen and then asked: "is it okay? The baby, I mean."

"The heartbeat is good and strong," Doctor Rivera said and proceeded to explain all about the baby's measurements and how much it would grow from week to week. Regina nodded now and then and listened carefully when the doctor gave her tips on how to deal with the morning sickness, the importance of fluid and enough rest.

"What do you do for a living, miss Mills?" she asked.

"I'm a flamenco dancer," Regina said and sounded a bit meek again. "And I know that'll be a problem later."

Doctor Rivera nodded. "It's important that you get enough rest and don't engage in overly strenuous activities."

"I know," Regina said and asked: "when should I come again?"

"Your next ultrasound will be between week 18 and 21," Doctor Rivera replied. "And you choose to find out the baby's sex then if you're interested."

Regina nodded. "Okay. And what about the due date? Mid-March?"

Doctor Rivera confirmed that as she wiped Regina's stomach. "If you have any questions or feel unsure about anything you are more than welcome to call us, miss Mills. We're here to help you. Not two pregnancies are the same, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed if it's the first time."

Regina smiled meekly as she tugged her tanktop back down in place and sat up. "Thank you, Doctor Rivera. I'll come back."

"Remember to get plenty of rest and listen to your body," the doctor said.

"I'll try my best," Regina assured and hopped off the examination table. She shook Doctor Rivera's hand, and as she did so, Emma noticed that the doctor had a picture from the ultrasound scan in her other hand. It was probably standard to hand over an exemplar of the picture, but Emma was pretty sure that Doctor Rivera had corrected the mistake last minute and was hanging on to the picture instead of giving it to Regina.

Regina noticed it too. She glanced at the picture in Doctor Rivera's hand, and after a second she said: "may I?"

"Certainly," Doctor Rivera said and quickly gave Regina the picture.

"I suppose it can't hurt to have a picture of blueberry," Regina said halfheartedly as she slipped the picture inside her purse. "Thanks again, Doctor Rivera."

"You are welcome, miss Mills," the doctor smiled. She turned to Emma. "It was nice to meet you, miss Swan."

"Likewise, Doctor Rivera," Emma said and flashed the doctor a smile.

"Shall we?" Regina asked and weaved her fingers in between Emma's.

"Yeah," Emma said and flashed her girlfriend a smile. "Let's do it."

Soon they were back in the car. This time Emma was the one behind the wheel. Regina looked pretty beat, so the blonde had insisted upon driving, and Regina hadn't put up much of a fight. She was currently "curled up" in the passenger's seat. "She was nice," she said softly.

"Yeah, real nice," Emma agreed as she steered the car out of the parking lot. "How are you feeling, beautiful girl?"

"I feel..." Regina let out a sigh. "I don't know how I feel to be honest. It's suddenly...real now. I mean, of course it was real before too, but now I really feel pregnant."

"Yeah," Emma said simply.

"My head's a mess," Regina admitted quietly.

"What can I do?" Emma asked earnestly. "Tell me how I can help, and I'll do it."

"Was it silly of me to ask for a picture?" the young woman asked. "I mean, I'm not going to..."

"That doesn't mean you can't have a picture from the first scan."

"Or I could give it to the parents," Regina said. "They would appreciate that, right?"

"I'm sure they would."

"I better start looking at some adoption agencies," Regina mused. "I'm already seven weeks along. There isn't that much time."

"I'll help you," Emma said automatically.

Regina smiled. "Thank you. For being here. For not freaking out over all of this-"

"Okay, one more word out of your mouth and I'll have no choice but to pull over and kiss you."

They both laughed at that, and Regina said: "may I make a request?"

"As many as you want, beautiful girl."

"Do you think perhaps we could talk about something that isn't related to the pregnancy?"

"Of course. Have I told you that you look insanely beautiful today?"

Regina sputtered. "You have a certain way of giving compliments, _querida_."

"Thanks," Emma chuckled. "I try my best."

Regina snickered again and then announced: "I think we might have to find a café on the way home. I'm getting hungry."

"Me, too," Emma said briskly. "I could kill for a hamburger!"

"I thought Granny's Diner was the only place who knew how to make hamburgers?" Regina teased.

"It is. But maybe I can find worthy competition here in Madrid. I can't wait for you to try Granny's hamburgers! You're gonna love them."

"I'm sure I will," Regina said. "I'm looking forward to seeing where you live."

"I'm looking forward to bringing you there. And for you to meet my parents." As soon as the words were out of Emma's mouth, she cringed slightly. "I've just realized how scary that sounds. Sorry."

"It doesn't," Regina said with a dry chuckle. "No one can possibly be worse than my mother. And you've already met her."

"I sure have. And that was... an experience."

Regina barked out a laugh. "You are too kind, Em-ma. I'm well aware that my mother is a _bruja_."

"_Bruja_?"

"Witch," Regina effortlessly translated. "She's a witch."

"And yet she managed to produce such a sweet daughter."

Regina chuckled once more. "Thank you, _querida_, but I fear that I might have inherited too much of my dear mother's temperament."

"I haven't noticed," Emma said softly.

"Again, you're too kind."

"I'm not. I'm just tellin' the truth, sweetheart."

Regina cracked a smile. "I'd like for you to meet my father."

"I'd like that too."

"He's completely different from my mother," Regina continued. "And he's going to adore you."

"You think so?" Emma said warmly. She hoped so. Regina had spoken so much of her father, and it was obvious that he was the most important person in her life. Emma wanted him to like her.

"I know so," Regina said firmly. "He always likes the people who makes me happy. And you make me exceptionally happy, Em-ma."

Emma moved one hand away from the wheel and put it on Regina's knee for a moment. "You make me happy too. Very happy."

"Despite all the mess?" Regina asked softly.

"There is no mess. There is you and me, sorting things out like the awesome people we are."

Regina laughed genuinely now, and never had Emma been happier to hear her laugh. And soon she spotted something else that made her almost just as happy. "I spy with my little eye, a coffee house. Not a café, but I'm sure we can find something. Should I stop the car?"

"Please," Regina said. "I could kill for a brownie."

It was Emma's turn to laugh. "Well, then lets go and find a brownie, beautiful girl." She parked the car, and she and Regina ventured out in the Spanish sunshine once more. Regina took her hand as they walked towards the coffee house, and Emma shamelessly took "advantage" of that. She used her grip on Regina's hand to tug the younger woman closer.

Regina squealed in surprise when she stumbled slightly and ended up bumping hips with Emma. "What are you doing, _querida_?"

"Gotcha," Emma said simply and wrapped an arm around Regina's waist.

That elicited another laugh from Regina. She turned her head and planted a sweet kiss on Emma's cheek. "You sure did. And I don't mind that at all."

"Good. Because I have no intention of letting go."

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Aún no= Not yet.

Sí. Por supesto= Yes. Of course.

Eres traviesa, señorita Swan. Muy travieso= You are naughty, Miss Swan. Very naughty.

Me siento horrible= I feel horrible.

Lo sé= I know.

El doctor estará aquí en breve= The doctor will be here shortly.

Hola Regina, soy doctora Rivera= Hi Regina, I'm doctor Rivera.

Encantado de conocerte. ¿Habla usted Inglés? Mi novia no es fluida en español.= Nice to meet you. Do you speak English? My girlfriend is not fluent in Spanish.

Lo estoy dando para adopción= I'm giving it up for adoption.


	10. Chapter 10

A few days later, they drove down to Marbella. Regina was right, it was a long drive, but nevertheless a nice one. They were talking and laughing all the time, and Regina didn't seem the least bit concerned today. She seemed happy. Carefree. Like any twenty year old should be.

Emma too was happy. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining from a clear, blue sky. The drove with the windows rolled down and now and then the light breeze made Emma's hair flutter around her face.

"I think you're getting freckles," Regina commented with a slight chuckle as she peered at Emma through her dark sunglasses.

"Yeah, I tend do to that when it's warm," Emma grinned. "Does it suit me?"

"_Sí_. _Eres hermosa_," Regina said sweetly.

"You're so sweet," Emma said and reached out so she could put a hand on Regina's knee for a second. "So?"

"What?" Regina asked and slowed down as they reached a traffic light.

"Why the urge to drive five hours?"

Regina shrugged lightly. "Because Marbella has the best beach."

Emma laughed. "You know just as well as me that we could have found a public pool or something. Driving five hours to find a beach isn't strictly necessary, so why?"

"Are you saying that you don't want to go to Marbella?"

"Are you trying to avoid the question?"

Regina sighed. "No. I'm trying to romance you, okay?"

"What? Regina-"

"This past week have been more about what's going on with me than it has been about romance and the thing you and I have," Regina interrupted her and sped up as the light switched from red to green. "I wanna rectify that. And I'm planning on doing that by showing you _Playa de la Fontanilla_ and taking you for a walk on the beach promenade."

"Regina you don't have to-"

"Yes I do."

Emma tried a new approach. "It's not completely true that there hasn't been time for any romance, beautiful girl. There was plenty of romance last night when we..."

Regina chuckled. "True, we were up late last night. But I want us to be more than that, you know? I want us to have more than that. I don't... I don't have the best track record when it comes to relationships, and I don't want to take anything for granted when it comes to you."

"You are so sweet," Emma gushed as she gave Regina's knee another squeeze.

"_¡Cállate!_" Regina grumbled.

"And what does that mean?" Emma snickered.

"It means... _Cállate_," Regina teased as she opened the glove box and grabbed the little bag of mint drops, she always carried with her. Normally, they resided in her purse, but today they had been relocated to the glove box.

"You nauseous?" Emma asked softly.

"I am. I'm starting to think it's a permanent state," Regina joked. "At least it will be until I reach the second trimester. Isn't that right?"

"Yep, that's right," Emma confirmed.

Regina popped a mint drop inside her mouth and then chuckled lightly. "Imagine how big I'll be the next time we see each other!"

Emma scoffed. "I'm strongly counting on seeing you before you get the chance to grow too much."

"I know. I was joking," Regina said softly. "I've signed up for the double shifts at the bar."

"Oh. Okay." Emma really struggled to sound neutral. But she wasn't a huge fan of Regina taking double shifts. She didn't want Regina to overwork herself, and especially not now. It sounded like a right cliché, but in her condition and all...

"It'll be fine," Regina said, reading her mind completely. "I'll cut down on dancing."

"But you love dancing," Emma mumbled.

"That's true. But working in the bar does pay better," the younger woman pointed out. "And I want to earn some money so I can come and visit you. Well, I also need to pay for maternity clothes, but visiting you is definitely my top priority."

"You'll get a culture shock when you come to Storybrooke," Emma chuckled. "And a cold shock."

"You'll keep me warm," Regina stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"True. I will."

"I can't wait," Regina smiled. "I can't wait to meet your parents and your friends."

"I know for sure that especially Ruby can't wait to meet you either," Emma grinned. "I might have bragged a little."

"You've been bragging?" Regina clicked her tongue. "That is not a very nice thing to do, Em-ma."

"When it's about you, it is," Emma grinned. "You are so worth bragging about, babe."

Regina snorted and scrunched up her nose in that particularly adorable way that always made Emma want to kiss the tip of her nose. A shame she couldn't do that right now.

They continued the drive. Regina switched on the radio and enthusiastically sang along to the Spanish songs playing. Emma couldn't understand a word and so she couldn't participate, but it was more than enough for her to watch Regina as she sang along. She was happy to see Regina looking so relaxed and happy. She deserved a day where she didn't have to think about anything pregnancy related. She deserved to be a normal twenty year old for once. Emma found her phone and sneakily took a picture of Regina while she was singing out her heart and soul.

"_¿Qué estás haciendo?_" Regina asked and interrupted her singing session.

"Nothing," Emma said innocently.

"You did something," Regina accused, and Emma was sure she was squinting behind her sunglasses. "Did you take a picture of me?"

"No. Of course not."

"Em-ma..."

"Okay, I did," Emma admitted. "You looked so beautiful."

Regina scoffed. "I wasn't prepared."

"That doesn't matter. You look awesome. You always do."

Regina snorted again and teased: "Look at you sucking up. What are you hoping to get out of it?"

"Beach pictures?" Emma asked hopefully. "I'd love to get some pictures of you in the water. I even brought the camera and everything."

"I know you did. And I was counting on you to photograph other motives..."

"That's not gonna happen anytime soon. You're my favorite motive."

"You are hopeless," Regina chuckled.

"Mmm, hopelessly devoted to you."

Now Regina really laughed. "Where did that come from?"

"My friend Ruby," Emma told her. "She kept quoting 'Summer Lovin'" when I came home from Madrid."

"Oh." Regina shook her head slightly. "Does that make me Johnny or Sandy then?"

"Sandy," Emma said without hesitation. "Definitely Sandy."

Regina laughed and did her best Sandy impression: "tell me about it, stud..."

Emma mock swooned. "Woah, good thing I'm not driving, because that would definitely have made me crash the car!"

Regina snickered. "Glad I can still surprise you."

"Oh, you never cease to surprise me, beautiful girl."

"I don't?" Regina asked intrigued. "And why is that?"

"Because you're so strong," Emma said without hesitation. "You don't just give up."

Regina blushed now and muttered something in Spanish. Emma wasn't sure what she said, but she still reached out and put a hand on Regina's knee again.

They had started out early, so it was only one o'clock when they reached Marbella.

"I'm hungry," Regina stated as they were waiting for green light again. "Is it okay if we stop at Burger King or something first?"

"Sure," Emma said with a smile. "I'm pretty hungry myself."

"Great," Regina said. "Burger King it is then. It'll be an hour before we can go into the water, but..."

"That's completely fine with me," Emma said, smirking now. "That should give me plenty of time to put sunscreen on you..."

Regina laughed. "I don't need sunscreen, but I suspect YOU do, _Señorita_ Swan."

"That's true," Emma agreed. "I easily get sunburned."

"Because your skin is so fair," Regina teased.

"We can't all be delicious, golden caramels."

Regina spluttered. "'Golden caramels'?"

"Yep," Emma said firmly. "I said what I said. A golden caramel is what you are."

Regina laughed all the way to Burger King, and she didn't stop chuckling until she found an available parking spot. Then she grimaced slightly as she said: "urgh, I'm really hungry!"

"We better get some food in you then," Emma said briskly as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.

"It's all Blueberry's fault," Regina mumbled so softly Emma almost didn't hear her. 'Blueberry' had become Regina's official word for "it", Emma had noticed. And by it, she meant the baby. She wasn't comfortable with saying "it", but she balked at the word "baby". And so Blueberry had become a compromise. Emma was more than willing to go along on it. She quite liked the word "blueberry", and she had a feeling that it would stick even when the baby grew past the size of a blueberry. Which would be pretty soon, actually. Tomorrow Regina would officially be nine weeks along, and according to the "baby book" she had bought, the baby would be the size of a green olive. They didn't talk that much about it. About how far along she was, etc., but Emma had noticed how Regina sometimes, when she thought that no one was looking, had been tugging and pulling at her clothes as though it was starting to get tight. She was still dreadfully tired, and more than once, Emma had made breakfast for them. And she had blatantly ignored Regina's protests about how she shouldn't because she was a guest and bla, bla, bla. Emma didn't give two shits about that. Regina was tired and pregnant and of course she should rest if and when she needed to.

"_Querida_?"

Emma was quick to look up, and she realized that she was falling behind.

"Food?" Regina sweetly asked and chuckled as she gestured towards Burger King.

"Yep. Absolutely. I was just zoning out for a second. Sorry," Emma said as she quickly caught up with Regina.

"Don't apologize," Regina half-chuckled as she slipped her fingers in between Emma's. "Tell me instead what you were thinking about. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is absolutely fine," Emma was quick to assure as she squeezed Regina's fingers. "I was just thinking about how beautiful you look today." That wasn't a lie at all. Regina really did look stunning in the light, purple dress she was wearing today.

"Very smooth, _Señorita_ Swan," Regina chuckled, shook her head and send her long braid tumbling over one shoulder.

"What, it's true," Emma huffed. "You DO look beautiful."

Regina laughed again and gave Emma a little tug. "Come on. Food. I'm starving."

"And obviously, we can't have that."

"Obviously," Regina repeated with a grin.

And so they headed inside Burger King. They walked up to the counter and ordered two burgers with fries. Regina ordered extra fries and flushed a little as she did so, but the guy taking their order didn't even blink twice. Regina ordered a Coca Cola, and Emma was about to do the same, but Regina encouraged her to "enjoy life", and so the blonde switched to ordering a beer instead. Once they had ordered everything they needed, they headed outside and found a table under one of the many parasols. The weather was too nice to sit inside.

"I hope it won't take too long," Regina said as they sat down. "I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant."

"An elephant?" Emma chuckled.

"_Sí_. And that's what I'll turn into if I'm not careful," Regina sobered up. "'Always watch your waistline'. That's what my mother always say."

Emma scoffed. "I'm not particularly interested in what she says, beautiful girl. I'm more interested in ensuring that you don't go hungry."

"I won't in a moment," Regina joked and leaned forward slightly. Her hands were folded under her chin. She looked quite sophisticated.

"Can I take a picture of you?" Emma asked. She was already slipping the camera out of the bag.

"Yes," Regina said a tad overbearingly as she slipped off her sunglasses. "Do I look very tired?"

"No, you look perfect. Smile for the dicky bird."

Regina laughed at the bad joke, and Emma immediately took the opportunity to snap a picture or three. God, Regina looked so pretty when she smiled. Absolutely stunning. The most beautiful girl in the world, and Emma didn't hesitate to tell her that.

Regina laughed even harder and called Emma silly. Emma denied all allegations, and then their food and drinks arrived. Regina's eyes were literally sparkling as she eyed the food, and as soon as the waiter had left, she said: "_¡Dios mío, eso se ve absolutamente increíble!_"

"Mmm, it does, doesn't it?" Emma smiled as she looked at her own burger.

Regina blushed. "And I'm being way too enthusiastic about it."

"No, you're not. You're totally allowed to be hungry."

"Oh, I'm hungry alright," Regina muttered as she dug into her burger and began eating with vigor.

Emma dug into her own food. It wasn't Granny's Diner, but the burger was still terrific. And so were the fries.

Regina took a sip of her cola and commented: "it's not Sangria, but it'll do."

"Happy to hear that," Emma chuckled. "So, what are we gonna do tommor-" she never got the chance to finish the sentence because of her phone. It started ringing in her purse, and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"You should probably get that, _querida_," Regina commented.

"Nah, it can wait. I'm with you right now."

"But it might be important," Regina pointed out.

Emma groaned and muttered something about too good arguments as she found her phone in her purse. "It's Ruby," she announced. "Still think it's important?"

"It might be, _querida._ Just answer the phone."

"Yes dear," Emma said a bit sardonically as she swiped a finger over the screen and brought the phone up to ear. "Hey, Rubes. What's up?"

"Hey, Em. I wish this was just me calling you and bugging you, but unfortunately it's not," Ruby sighed in the other end.

"Okay. What's up?"

"It's about Neal."

Emma's eyes narrowed. "What about him?"

"He's on the warpath. He keeps going on and on about the ring he gave you..."

"Oh, for fucks sake!" Emma growled. "Is he trying to convince everyone it was a family heirloom again?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what he's doing."

"That ring was a standard model from a jewelry shop!" Emma raged. "He told me as much when I busted him for lying about where he got it!"

"I know that," Ruby said. "And I'm pretty sure he was only using it as a lame excuse. I think he's been out of town for the past week, because he came to the diner and asked for you."

"Oh please tell me you told him that I'm in Spain and having the time of my life!"

"I didn't. I actually told him to go fuck himself."

Emma spluttered. "Even better. You know what, I've had it with his stupid antics. When I get home, I'm going to ask for a restraining order. Then he can chew on THAT!"

"I think that's a good idea," Ruby said, and her voice became softer as she continued: "I don't wanna make you scared, Em, but..."

"I'm not scared," Emma said. "What is it?"

"He just seemed pretty...unhinged," Ruby said, and Emma could hear some scrambling in the other end. "Maybe he had been drinking or something like that."

"Yeah, well, he can go fuck himself. I'm not afraid of him," Emma said firmly. "Are you okay, Rubes?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Granny basically kicked him out when he kept yapping off," Ruby chuckled. "Anyway, I just wanted to call you and give you a heads up in case he decides to call you. I did see him with a new phone, so he probably changed his number again."

"Thanks, Rubes. I really appreciate that."

"So? What are you and Regina up to?" Ruby asked briskly.

"We're having lunch," Emma told her friend. "And later we're going to the beach."

"Ugh, I hate you so much!" Ruby said earnestly. "It's piss pouring down here!"

"I believe you," Emma chuckled. It quite often rained in Maine.

"And I bet the sun is shining from a clear blue sky there, isn't it?" Ruby grumbled.

"Correct," Emma grinned.

Ruby groaned again and muttered something about how much she hated Emma right now.

Emma chuckled. "You know what, my burger is getting cold, so..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll let you get back to your sweetheart," Ruby teased.

Emma laughed again but then turned serious: "and Ruby... thank you for giving me a heads up."

"Anytime. And let me know if you want me to kick his ass, okay?"

"Hopefully it won't come to that. Talk soon."

"You got it. Give my best to Regiiiiina."

"You're funny. I will. Bye."

"Bye, Ems."

Emma ended the call and slipped the phone back in her purse. She then turned her attention to Regina once more. The younger woman was already half through her portion of French fries. She hadn't been kidding when she said she was hungry.

"Everything okay?" Regina asked after carefully have swallowed a mouthful of fries.

"Yeah, she was just calling about my ex. Apparently he's been going around saying shit. And he's gotten a new phone too. Ruby was giving me a heads up about it."

"Oh," Regina said and frowned.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Emma said lightly and leaned forward so she could pat Regina's hand. "I'm not afraid of Neal at all. He was just being a drunk idiot. Nothing to worry about."

"You should stay here where he can't bother you," Regina quipped.

Emma smiled. "And you should come back to Storybrooke where your mom can't get to you."

Regina laughed and shook her head. "God, we're hopeless, aren't we?"

"There's a difference of being hopeless and being in love, and I know which option I'm choosing," Emma said casually as she grabbed her beer. "Cheers, beautiful girl."

"Cheers, Em-ma," Regina said. Their glasses clinked together, and she looked somewhat enviously at Emma's beer. "I wish I could have some of that too."

"I know," Emma said and patted her hand again.

"Oh well, at least I have extra French fries," Regina said, visibly perking up as she looked down at her portion of fries.

"That you do," Emma grinned. Regina was quite cute when she was hungry.

"_Te estas riendo de mi_."

"Huh?"

"You're laughing at me," Regina grumbled.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"Okay, maybe I am a little bit. But definitely not in a malicious way. I'm laughing because I find you cute."

"'Cute'?" Regina echoed and scrunched up her nose.

"Oh yeah. Definitely cute."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose I can live with that," Regina said nonchalantly as she stuffed another French fry inside her mouth.

"And now you look sexy," Emma said casually.

Regina choked on her French fry. "Emma!"

"What? You do."

"You can't say stuff like that!" Regina said, feigning horrification, but Emma could see that she was actually pleased. She grinned at the brunette and was even cheeky enough to wink at her.

Regina shook her head and clicked her tongue. But then she laughed and told Emma that she was "_muy travieso_", and then it was Emma's turn to choke because she knew exactly what that meant...

After their lunch, they drove the short distance to the beach, and what a beach that was. White sand. Perfect, crystal blue water. Wonderful. Emma and Regina found a spot where they laid out their towels and things and Emma slipped her dress over her head. She had dressed in a bikini in Regina's apartment, so she could just as well take off her clothes right away.

"_Eres hermosa_," Regina said softly as she looked at Emma. "The color matches your eyes."

"I'm glad you like it. Are you gonna take off your dress too? Get some sun?"

"_Sí_," Regina said, but she seemed somewhat more hesitant as she slipped off her dress and revealed the purple bikini, she was wearing underneath.

Emma shamelessly ogled Regina's perfect body, and she was well in the process of getting lost in the sight of it when Regina said: "do I look...you know?"

"No," Emma said immediately.

Regina sighed. "I can handle the truth, Em-ma. Now tell me. Do I look pregnant or not?"

"There's a little bit of a curve on your stomach," Emma said gently and truthfully. "It's barely there and you certainly wouldn't pay attention to it if you didn't know..."

"I can feel it though," Regina said almost a bit thoughtfully. "My pants are starting to feel tight. It's a little annoying. But at least I can wear dresses."

"That you can."

They settled down on their towels on the sand. Regina rolled onto her back and closed her eyes against the sun. "This is nice."

"It is," Emma agreed and reached for Regina's hand. "I don't ever want to go home."

"You have to, _querida._ If you don't come home, your parents will be sad. And besides, if you don't leave, you can't come back."

"That...makes no sense what so ever!" Emma said and turned her head to the side so she could look at Regina. "You have the worst logic ever, you know that, right?"

Regina laughed. "I do not."

"You do too!"

Regina gave her a nudge. "Careful. Or you'll end up in the sand."

"Oh yeah? I'll take you with me!" Emma assured with a slight growl.

"I'd like to see you try," Regina flirted as she rolled onto her belly and grabbed for the sunscreen in Emma's bag. "Now... do you need any assistance with this?"

"Uhm, yeah, definitely. Can I assist you afterwards?"

"I told you. I don't need sunscreen," Regina teased as she sat up on her heels and popped the lid off the sunscreen. "Roll onto your back, please."

"Yes, miss Mills," Emma joked with a pretty fair imitation of politeness as she obediently rolled onto her back like Regina had asked her to.

"Good," Regina chuckled, and Emma hummed in satisfaction when she felt the brunette's fingers brush against the nape of her neck as she was pushing Emma's blonde hair out of the way. Emma heard the sound of the sunscreen being squirted into her hand and then she felt the sticky liquid on her back.

"You're getting so tanned," Regina said as she began to massage the sunscreen into Emma's skin. "And freckled. You have freckles on your back as well."

"Really?" Emma chuckled. "Perhaps I'll be full of freckles by the time I get home."

"_Sí_, perhaps," Regina hummed and began kneading Emma's shoulder. "I was thinking about something..."

"Mhmm?"

"How would you feel about meeting my father?"

Emma lifted her head and craned her neck slightly so she could look at Regina. "I'd like that very much. I know how important he is to you."

"He is," Regina nodded and resumed kneading the sunscreen into Emma's right shoulder. "I often have him over for dinner, but I haven't had time these past two weeks. I already feel so guilty for lying to him..."

"I'd love to meet him," Emma said gently.

"He's completely different from my mother."

"I figured," Emma chuckled.

"I think you and he will hit it off quite well," Regina said, and Emma felt her dark hair brush against her shoulder for a second. "But you can't tell him about-"

"I know, honey. I know."

"Yes. I'm sorry. Of course you do. It just feels so terrible to lie to him!" Regina murmured. "But I simply can't risk anything getting back to my mother. She would make my life a living hell."

"Well, she definitely won't hear anything from me," Emma said firmly. "What's she gonna do in New York? Do you know that?"

"I think she's planning on settling down as a lawyer," Regina replied. "She has a degree in law, but she never got to use it because she met my father. I think she's bitter about that. Sometimes I wonder why she even married my father."

"Hey, I'm glad she did," Emma said. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here, and that would really suck!"

Regina snickered as she moved along to Emma's upper back. "That's a good point, _querida._"

"A very good point. And that feels very nice!"

"Good," Regina chuckled.

Emma groaned quietly as she enjoyed the sensation of Regina's hands on her back. "Please don't make me think things in a public beach."

"I'd never," Regina assured. "Can I do your lower back now?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea but go ahead."

And that was exactly what Regina did. She massaged the sunscreen into Emma's lower back, and Emma tried to keep her head on and NOT get aroused. Seriously, she couldn't. Not right now. But it was damn hard. The way Regina's fingers slipped through the lotion was just so- _Nope. Don't even think about it, Swan. Breathe_.

"Shall I do your front too afterwards?" Regina asked sweetly.

"Absolutely not!" Emma said firmly. "But I am however, gonna put sunscreen on you."

"I'm not at risk of getting sunburned, Em-ma."

"Don't care. I'm gonna do it anyway."

Regina snickered, and after a moment she declared: "all done. Unless you want me to do your legs...?"

"Oh god no!" Emma said as she sat up and snatched the bottle of sunscreen from Regina. "My turn. Let's switch places."

"Very well, _querida_," Regina said a tad overbearingly as she laid down on her belly on the towel.

"Ready?" Emma asked and tried her utmost not to stare at Regina's ass.

"Mhmm. No one has put sunscreen on me since I was a little girl," Regina laughed.

"Well, I'm happy you're giving me the honor," Emma joked as she squeezed a dollop of sunscreen into her hand. She began applying it to Regina's back, and Regina hummed in satisfaction. Emma was just about to ask her if it tickled, but she got distracted when Regina's hands suddenly came up and began pulling at the clasp of her bikini.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked and stilled her movements for a second.

"I'm trying to open the clasp," Regina said as she fumbled behind her back.

"Oh. You need any help?"

"Please."

Emma grabbed hold of the clasp with her sticky fingers and it didn't take long before she had managed to open Regina's bikini. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks. It felt a bit tight."

"So I noticed," Emma said before she could stop herself.

Regina snickered into the towel. "I definitely need new bras. And bikinis."

"I'll go shopping with you," Emma smoothly offered as she resumed the process of applying sunscreen to Regina's smooth, golden skin.

"I'm sure you will. I'm going to fall asleep."

"So fall asleep. I don't mind."

Regina hadn't been joking. It actually didn't take long before her breath evened out, and Emma smiled a little as she put the sunscreen-apply-process on hold. She didn't want to disturb Regina's slumber. She put the bottle of sunscreen aside and found her book in her bag. She hadn't had a lot of time to read this time around, and now seemed like a perfect time to catch up on it.

Regina mumbled something in her sleep. Some of it Emma had no idea what meant, but she did understand one of the words Regina uttered in her sleep. "Blueberry".

Emma glanced at her girlfriend over her book. She wondered what Regina was dreaming about right now. Obviously, something about the baby, but what? Maybe it was something about the adoption agency. They had found an agency yesterday, and Regina had called and made an appointment with them. One that Emma unfortunately couldn't be there for. Despite Regina's wishes, she had tried her utmost to push some appointments around but without any luck. She had to go back to Maine and mind her job, and Regina had to talk to the adoption agency on her own. She had insisted that it was fine and that she would tell Emma all about it afterwards, but Emma still cursed the situation. She really wanted to have been there.

Emma picked up the book again and looked at the words written without actually reading a thing. Saying goodbye to Regina the first time had been excruciatingly hard, but this time... This time it would be unbearable. Emma didn't want to be on the other side of the ocean and receive updates about the pregnancy. She wanted to be there for it, damnit! All of it. When she went back to Maine, Regina literally had no one to go to. No one to talk to about it. Emma's stomach felt like it was full of rocks now. She could imagine Regina sitting alone in her apartment. Going to the doctor's alone, going to the adoption agency alone. God, this situation sucked big time!

Emma tossed her book aside. She couldn't concentrate on reading anyway, so instead she snuggled closer to Regina. The younger woman mumbled something in her sleep again. Something in Spanish that sounded like a hum more than anything else. Emma chuckled lightly. That was a cute sound. Regina was adorable when she was asleep. Hell, Regina was adorable all the time.

Emma was on the brink of dozing off when she heard her phone vibrate somewhere in her purse. She forced herself out of her half-sleeping state and thrusted one hand inside the purse. She found her phone and blinked for a second to focus on the message she had just received. It was from her mom. She asked what they were doing, and Emma smiled as she truthfully texted back that they were at the beach and having a wonderful time there. Her mom wasn't at all jealous, she claimed, and Emma chuckled softly because she knew better. Of course her mom was jealous. It had been a while since she last was on holiday, and Emma thought to herself that she should encourage her mom to do so. She could need a break.

Emma ended up falling asleep. She wasn't sure for how long, but she was sure that being kissed on the cheek by Regina was one of the sweetest ways to wake up.

"Hey," Emma said as she slowly opened her eyes. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"_Sí_, I did. We've been asleep for an hour."

"Really?" Emma grimaced. Maybe she would end up getting sunburned after all.

"Mhmm. Would you like to go into the water with me?"

Emma lifted her head. "Absolutely."

"Great. Then clasp me, please," Regina said as she turned her back to Emma, and only now Emma realized that Regina's hands was the only thing covering her breasts.

"Right away," Emma croaked and sat up so she could hastily grab onto the clasp of Regina's bra. She fumbled just a little bit, but still managed to hook Regina's bra. "There we go."

"Thank you," Regina said and jumped up from the towel with renewed enthusiasm. "Come on, _querida_! Come swim with me!"

"I'm coming," Emma laughed as she grabbed the hand being extended out to her. As soon as she had gotten on her feet, Regina released her hand and laughed heartedly as she said: "last one in the water is a rotten egg!"

"Hey, you are so cheating!" Emma yelled as Regina turned around and started sprinting towards the water. Emma did her best to catch up with her and hoped that her long legs would give her some benefit.

But they didn't. Regina was faster than she appeared to be, and she made it first into the water. "I won!" she cried excitedly and sloshed water at Emma.

Emma huffed and spluttered. "You cheated. That's the only reason you won!"

"You're a sore loser," Regina teased and pushed her hair away from her face.

"I am not!" Emma tried to protest. But the words didn't have much bite to them. She was far too busy admiring how good Regina looked with her hair slicked back like that.

"You are too," Regina chuckled and made tiny waves in the water as she came closer to Emma. "Can I have my reward now?"

"What is your reward?"

"A kiss," Regina said sweetly.

"Oh," Emma grinned and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist. "That you can have. As many as you want."

"_Perfecta_," Regina murmured and then she slotted their lips together in a kiss. Her arms winded around Emma's neck.

Emma immediately returned the kiss and let out a soft sigh. The sun was shining from a clear blue sky. The sand was white, and the crystal blue water was perfect and lukewarm. And she was kissing Regina. What could possibly be better?

Right now, Emma was more than willing to forget that she was going home soon. Right now, it was easy to let herself believe that she was actually staying in Madrid with Regina forever. She was allowed to day dream for just a little while, wasn't she?

**To Be Continued...**


	11. Chapter 11

"Something smells delicious, and it's not the lasagna," Emma said smoothly as she came from behind and snaked her arms around Regina's waist.

Regina laughed. "Behave, _querida_. My father will be here soon."

"Which is why I'm taking advantage of the time we have left," Emma joked as she gave Regina's waist a teasing little squeeze.

"You are hopeless, _querida_," Regina told her and clicked her tongue slightly.

"And you're beautiful," Emma mumbled into her hair as she breathed in the scent of Regina's flowery perfume. That scent would always remind her of a summer day in Madrid.

"I'm trying to make dinner, Em-ma," Regina mock-chided. "You are interrupting me."

Emma laughed and sniffed into the air. "The lasagna smells delicious too."

"It's my father's favorite dish," Regina revealed. "He's the one who taught me how to make it when I was a little girl. And I've been making it ever since."

"You're good at cooking," Emma praised and nuzzled her nose against the side of Regina's neck.

Regina laughed. "When one's father is a chef, it sort of runs in the family, _querida_. My mother claims that I'm terrible, though."

"Well, I disagree," Emma said simply and felt her temperament rear its head in that way it always did when Cora Mills was mentioned.

"I'll tell her that the next time I see her," Regina joked. "Now unhand me. I have to check up on dinner."

"Urgh, fine," Emma said mock dramatically as she reluctantly released her grip on Regina's waist.

Regina crouched down and opened the oven. The smell of tomato and oregano immediately filled the kitchen, and Emma mmm'ed loudly.

"I think it might be a success tonight," Regina announced as she slammed the oven door shut again and wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

Emma grinned. "Have I mentioned how cute you look in that apron?"

"Several times, _querida_. I feel awfully domestic."

"And is that a bad thing?"

"No," Regina smiled. "I don't think so."

"I don't think so either, _mi belleza_."

Regina cracked another smile at that. "You are getting better and better at pronouncing, _querida_."

"Must be all the lessons you've given me," Emma grinned.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe I've ever given you lessons in Spanish, Em-ma."

"Sure you have. In bed. You talk a lot of Spanish in bed."

Regina blushed prettily at that and pretended to be busy with unfastening her apron, and Emma cackled. Regina DID babble a lot in Spanish when they were in bed, but Emma seldom understood half of it. And honestly, learning Spanish wasn't ranking very high on her list when she was in bed with Regina. There were...other things that were far more important.

"How do I look?" Regina asked and interrupted Emma's train of dirty thoughts.

Emma looked at her. Regina had discarded of her apron and was now standing in front of her in her pastel blue halter neck dress.

"You look beautiful," Emma smiled.

"Any signs of...anything?" Regina asked and smoothened a hand over her belly.

"No, none what so ever."

"Good. That's good," Regina said and puffed out a breath. "Are you sure though?"

"Absolutely," Emma said firmly. The curve on Regina's stomach was definitely too tiny to be noticed by anyone.

"Okay." Regina took another deep breath. "Brilliant."

"Relax," Emma said gently as she slipped an arm around the younger woman. "You look gorgeous."

Regina's mouth curved up in a smile. "You really think so?"

"Oh yeah," Emma smiled and did a little mock spin. "And how do you think I look?"

"_Maravillosa_."

"Yeah?" Emma smoothened a crease on the green dress she had chosen especially for today. It brought out her eyes and it was quite "decent". Very appropriate for meeting your girlfriend's father.

"Absolutely," Regina assured. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"Maybe I am," Emma said honestly. "I mean...it's your father."

"He doesn't bite," Regina said with a slight chuckle. "He's completely different from my mother."

"I believe you," Emma said. "Which is probably why I'm so nervous. You speak so highly of him. I wanna make a good impression."

"You will," Regina told her. "Of course you will." She stood on her tippy toes and pecked Emma's cheek. "He will adore you."

Emma chuckled despite being anxious. "I hope so."

Regina pecked her cheek again. "You'll do fine, _querida. _Trust me." she then turned around and crouched down so she could peek into the oven. "Oh dear, I'm afraid I might have added too much red pepper flakes."

"I doubt it. It doesn't smell too peppery to me," Emma said lightly. "It smells nice."

"Yes, well, let's hope it is," Regina half joked as she rose to her full height again.

Emma glanced at the dessert standing on the table and waiting to be baked. "And that apple pie looks awesome too!"

Regina smiled. "Apple pie is sort of my specialty."

"You've been holding out on me, beautiful girl," Emma teased. "I had no idea that you were such a chef."

"Chef Regina," Regina quipped. "When I was very young, I wanted a restaurant too. Then I started dreaming about becoming an actress, but now I don't know." She shrugged lightly. "I suppose the acting thing mostly was to annoy my mother."

Emma cracked a smile. "I can see you on the big screen, beautiful girl. But I can also see you being a chef."

Regina laughed. "Perhaps I should open my own bar. How about that?"

"I could see you doing that too," Emma grinned. "Your bar would be the most visited, I'm sure."

"Nobody mixes drinks like I do," Regina joked as she glanced towards the oven again.

"It smells really good," Emma said again. "Perfect."

"I sincerely hope so," Regina mumbled and smoothened a hand over her dress.

"And you look nice too," Emma added.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Why do you know exactly what I think?"

"Maybe I have a super power?" Emma innocently suggested.

"Yes, maybe you do," Regina said with a chuckle and glanced towards the clock on the wall. "Daddy should we here in five minutes. He's almost always on time."

"Oh god," Emma said before she could stop herself.

"_Querida_," Regina soothed as she draped her arms around Emma's waist. "_Relajarse_. My father will adore you."

"Can you guarantee me that?" Emma half-joked. Her stomach twisted with anxiety. She knew that Regina adored her father and vice versa. She so wanted tonight's meeting to go well. Hell, she had even called her mom earlier to ask for tips. Mary Margaret had been very helpful and curious. Still interested in Emma's sudden and mysterious departure to Spain. Emma had dodged every question and had assured her mom that she would explain everything when she got home from Spain. She had gotten Regina's "blessing" to do so.

"Hey," Regina said and pecked Emma's jaw again. "Where'd you go?"

"Nowhere," Emma said quickly. "I'm right here."

"Good, because-" the door telephone buzzed insistently and interrupted Regina's sentence. Emma swallowed hard.

"That'll be my father," Regina said cheerfully as she spun around. "Would you mind keeping an eye on the lasagna while I open?"

"Sure," Emma said and tried to keep her voice light.

Regina partially turned around and patted her cheek encouragingly, and then she padded into the little hallway. Emma heard her slide the security chain away and then open the door. Emma couldn't help but laugh when she heard Regina utter an excited: "Daddy! _¡Te he extrañado!_" she sounded years younger.

"_Mija ¡Yo también te he extrañado!_!" Emma heard from the hallway. Regina's father. He had a deep, warm voice. The same as Regina. He sounded thoroughly nice. Emma's shoulders uncurled slightly at the sound of Regina rapidly babbling in Spanish with her father. They sounded so alike. The tone and the way they said certain words. The same almost singing way of speaking. It was pretty cute, actually. Emma almost chuckled at the sound. She wasn't as nervous now. She could do this. Of course she could do this. She was just meeting Regina's father. No big deal.

Massive deal.

There was laughter from the hallway and then Regina's voice speaking in English again: "come in, daddy. Dinner's almost ready."

"It smells good, _Mija_," the still faceless voice said good-naturedly. He had a thick accent, but that only added to how nice he sounded.

Regina laughed sweetly. "I sincerely hope it is."

Her father laughed, and then that particular floorboard in the hallway creaked. Emma took her eyes off the oven for a moment. Regina came into the kitchen closely followed by an older looking man. His hair was greying, and he was a bit bulgy in the stomach area. Emma's immediate first thought was an old bear, and she immediately felt ridiculous. Regina's father had kind eyes. The same dark shade and shape as Regina's, Emma noted. And dimples. He smiled at her, and Emma immediately recognized Regina's smile.

"Daddy, this is my girlfriend, Emma Swan," Regina announced and sounded unbelievably proud.

Regina's father smiled, and Emma blushed a bit as she extended her hand out. "Mr. Mills, it's so nice to meet you."

He shook her hand once. His hand was warm and his handshake soft yet firm. "It's very nice to meet you too, Emma. But you don't have to call me 'Mr. Mills'. Henry will do just fine." his English was flawless.

"Henry," Emma parroted and returned the warm smile he flashed her. Regina was right, he really was the exact opposite of Cora Mills.

"So you are the woman who has stolen my daughter's heart," Henry rumbled good-naturedly.

"Daddy!" Regina protested and blushed again. "Don't embarrass me!"

Henry laughed again as he turned his attention back to his daughter. "You look well, _Mija_. Your mother mentioned that you looked unwell, but I can't see that."

"Mother says many things, and most of them are nonsense," Regina said flatly but amended her tone by flashing her father a smile. "I am doing perfectly fine."

"I can see that," he smiled and sniffed appreciatingly into the air. "Dinner smells wonderful, _Mija_."

"Are you hungry?" Regina sweetly teased her father.

"But of course," the elderly man said matter of factly. "I'm always hungry when you make lasagna."

Regina laughed a little. "Why don't you sit down? Dinner will be ready in a second. What can I get you to drink?"

"Just some water would be great, _Mija_."

"Coming right up," Regina said briskly and brushed past Emma in her eagerness to get to the cupboard. "Pardon me, _querida_."

"No harm done," Emma snickered.

Regina stood on her tippy toes to reach into the cupboard where she kept her glasses and cups. "And what would you like to drink, _querida_? Wine?"

"No, water is fine with me," Emma said lightly. She didn't want to be the only one drinking wine at this dinner.

"Alright, then," Regina said and turned around with two filled water glasses in her hands. "Do you mind bringing these over to the table? I'll get the lasagna."

"Sure." Emma took the glasses from Regina and brought them over to the table.

"And take a seat, _querida_," Regina added. "I'll handle the rest."

"You're sure? I'll be happy to help-"

"No-no, I got it," Regina interrupted as she opened the oven.

Henry chuckled. "Regina never wants any help in the kitchen. That's how it's always been. Isn't that right, _Mija_?"

"Perhaps I've learned from you," Regina teased and busied herself with lifting the lasagna out of the oven. The heat clearly seeped through her oven gloves, because she cursed softly under her breath.

Henry chuckled again and turned his attention to Emma. "So, Emma, Regina tells me you're from Maine?"

"Yeah, that's right. I'm from a place called Storybrooke," Emma told him.

"Storybrooke?" Henry repeated and reacted the same way everyone else did. "I don't believe I've ever heard about that town."

"Most people haven't," Emma chuckled. "It's this tiny town all tugged away in Maine. Fisher village. It's very idyllic."

"It sounds like it," Henry smiled and glanced at his daughter who was now tugging off her oven gloves. "And you saw Regina dancing one night? Is that right?"

"Yep," Emma said and hastily corrected herself: "I mean, yes, that's right."

"She's a wonderful dancer, isn't she?" Henry said proudly. Where Cora had reacted with disgust and disdain, there was no doubt that Regina's father was proud of his daughter.

"She really is. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her the first time."

"You two really MUST stop talking about me," Regina grumbled.

Henry chuckled and did as Regina requested. Changed the subject. "And what do you do for a living, Emma?"

"I'm a photographer," Emma said, and now she was the one to be proud. "Freelance, but I'm considering to focus on only one thing in the future."

"Emma takes wonderful pictures," Regina interjected.

"I should like to see them," Henry said interested. "What sort of pictures do you take? Landscapes? Portraits?"

"It's a little bit of everything, really," Emma replied. "Sometimes I'm the wedding photographer. Sometimes it's a family portrait. And there was this one time where I was hired to take pictures of a couple's dogs."

"Dogs?" Henry repeated while Regina laughed.

"Yeah," Emma chuckled. "That was a pretty special assignment."

"I can imagine so," Henry said and showed off his dimples and wrinkles around his eyes as he smiled.

"But the pictures turned out alright," Emma continued. "If you'd like, I could maybe show you some of them after dinner?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much," Henry said and smiled again. "I must say it's nice to finally meet you, Emma. It's nice to add a face to the name my daughter has mentioned so many times."

"Daddy," Regina warned as she came over to the table with the lasagna.

"It's nice to meet you too," Emma said warmly and for once ignored Regina. "I've heard so much about you. Regina talks about you all the time."

Regina grumbled something as she sat down between them, but Henry just chuckled as he reached over and patted his daughter's hand. Then he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No cigarette before dinner?"

"No cigarette," Regina confirmed. "I've quit smoking."

"You have?" Henry said delighted. "_Mija_, that's wonderful news! Your mother didn't mention that at all."

"That's because she didn't stay long enough to ask," Regina said with a certain edge to her voice. "She only stopped by to spew a few insults, and then off she went again."

"_Mija_-"

"Daddy, you have to stop making excuses for her," Regina said firmly as she pushed the lasagna towards him. "Now let's eat instead of talking about mother."

"Very well," Henry said and patted her hand again. "I'm sorry, _Mija_. I didn't want to upset you."

"I'm not upset at all," Regina assured and put on a smile. "Please, dig in. While it's still hot."

"It looks delicious, _Mija_," Henry said as he treated himself to a large piece of lasagna.

Regina mumbled something about too many red pepper flakes, and Emma chuckled as she too took a piece of the lasagna. "I'm sure it's delicious, _mi belleza_." Oh. The endearment had just slipped out. She didn't even think about it. But the grin on Henry's face was unmistakable. He was happy for his daughter.

Regina too smiled and gave Emma's hand a soft pad before turning her attention back to her father. "So, how are you doing, daddy?"

"I'm doing well," Henry replied, smiling at his daughter now. "I'm a bit busy at the restaurants, but that's how I prefer it."

Regina narrowed her eyes slightly at her father. "You're not working too hard, are you? You know I'll find out if I do."

Henry chuckled. "I can assure you, _Mija_, I'm taking care of myself. I've cut down on red meat and wine, and I'm minding my cholesterol."

A chuckle escaped Emma, and Henry flashed her a benign smile. "Regina is always so worried I work too much."

"I want to make sure you're taking care of yourself," Regina said firmly.

Henry patted his daughter's hand. "You've got nothing to worry about, _Mija_."

Regina rolled her eyes slightly at the assurance. "_No estás engañando a nadie, papi_. I know that look in your eyes. It always means that there's something going on at the restaurants. Now, what is it?"

Henry deflated slightly and treated himself to a large mouthful of lasagna. He chewed, swallowed and then gobbled down the mouthful with lots of water.

"Daddy," Regina chided lightly and put her hand over her father's. "Tell me what it is."

"I don't want to worry you, _Mija._"

"Daddy."

"Alright," the elderly man said. "As you well know, the restaurant in Toledo opened three weeks ago."

"_Sí_, you told me," Regina nodded. "Is there problems?"

"There might be," Henry sighed. "Paula just quit."

"Paula?" Regina echoed and her eyebrows knitted together. "But she's your best waitress!"

"Yes," Henry said and looked a bit disheartened for a moment before plastering a smile on his lips. "But I'm sure we'll manage anyway."

Emma watched Regina shake her head. "But she can't just quit like that! The plan was that she was supposed to go with you to Toledo and help with the new restaurant, was it not?"

Henry smiled again. "She had a good reason to quit, _mi niña_. She's having a baby. I completely understand why she doesn't like the idea of carrying heavy trays, etc."

Emma could hear Regina swallow audibly. She sought solace in a piece of lasagna and carefully chewed and swallowed before saying: "let me know if you need an extra waitress. I'd be happy to help."

Emma immediately tensed. Dancing, working at the bar and waitressing at her father's restaurant. Regina would be working three jobs. Emma was definitely not happy with that.

"Oh no, _Mija_," Henry said and shook his head. "I know how busy you are. I can't ask you to do this too."

"You're not," Regina said. "I'm offering. I don't mind a bit of extra work until you find a replacement for Paula."

Emma literally had to bite her tongue to not say something.

Henry's face lit up in a smile. "Well, it would certainly be a great help, _Mija_. It would only be a couple of nights a week. And you could stay in the apartment while you're there instead of driving all the way back here."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You've bought an apartment in Toledo?"

"_Sí_," Henry nodded excitedly. "Complete with furniture's and everything."

Regina chuckled.

"It's for when I retire," Henry defended.

That only made Regina's amusement intensify, and her dark eyes gleamed as she pushed the lasagna towards Emma. "More lasagna, _querida_? You're not allowed to say no."

Emma chuckled as she treated herself to another piece of the delicious lasagna, but it was impossible not to notice that Regina only had eaten one piece. Maybe she was nauseous again. She had been pretty nauseous this morning and had barely finished breakfast before she had to rush to the bathroom and throw it all back up. Afterwards she had cursed so grimly in Spanish, Emma had accidentally laughed. And then felt horrible about it afterwards. She had been spilling apologies to Regina until Regina had bursted out laughing and declared that "this is ridiculous."

Emma smiled as she watched Regina and her father laugh together. This was a nice evening.

"There's apple pie for dessert," Regina revealed, and Henry looked like he had just been given a gift.

"You are spoiling us, _Mija_."

"Agreed," Emma teased.

Regina flushed a bit. "I am not."

"You are, and you always do," Henry dismissed and cleared his throat. "_Mija_, I think we have to talk about your mother for a moment."

Regina pulled a pace that made her like a teenager. "_¿Por qué?_"

"She'll be leaving for New York soon."

"Yes, I know," Regina said tightly. "What a happy day that will be!"

Henry reached out and patted her hand again. "You might not see her for a while, _Mija_. Don't you think it could be a good idea to at least have dinner with her to say goodbye?"

Regina shifted a bit on her chair. "No, I don't think that's a good idea, daddy. You know how it is. We always end up arguing. She was very unkind and rude to both me and Emma the last time I saw her."

"She's your mother, _Mija_."

"She's not acting like it," Regina said simply and shook her head. "And you don't owe her anything either, daddy."

"I know," Henry said with a slight sigh. He looked at Emma. "_Lo siento_, Emma. We shouldn't be talking about all of this while you're here."

"That's completely fine," Emma said and diplomatically continued: "I know how difficult Regina's mother can be sometimes."

"All the time," Regina muttered lowly and quickly lifted her glass. "_Salud_!"

"_Salud, Mija_."

"_Salud_, _mi belleza_," Emma said with just a hint of teasing as she lifted her glass and clinked it with Regina's.

Henry chuckled. "_Salud, _Emma."

Emma clinked her glass with his and smiled. What a thoroughly nice man he was. Clearly afraid of his ex-wife, but a kind and considerate father to Regina. It was as clear as day that he adored his daughter and was ready to walk through fire for her. Emma quietly wondered why Regina felt like she couldn't tell him about the pregnancy? Emma couldn't imagine him getting angry at his daughter. He didn't seem the type for that at all. Obviously, it was Regina's choice whether she wanted to tell her father or not, and Emma could fully understand why she feared that the news somehow would travel back to her mother. Cora Mills definitely seemed the type who had eyes and ears everywhere. Hell, she had already made that chick- Anastasia, was it?- follow Regina once. Who else knew what she might do?

A little while later, Regina was in the kitchen preparing the dessert. She didn't want any help and had banished both her father and Emma to the living room where they were currently sitting and chatting pleasantly. Henry asked her more about Storybrooke and what her parents where doing, etc. Emma told him that her father was in the police force and her mother was the town's mayor. Henry seemed very impressed at that, but he was even more interested in Emma's job as a photographer. Emma ended up borrowing Regina's laptop and showing him her website with all the pictures. He praised every last one of them.

"These are impressive, you are very talented," he said and smiled at Emma.

"Thank you," Emma said and felt genuinely proud of herself.

"And these..." his smile went positively soft as he looked at the pictures Emma had taken of Regina. "These are wonderful!"

Emma grinned. "I haven't taken pictures of much else since my first visit in Madrid."

Henry smiled fondly at the picture of Regina.

"What are you two talking about?" Regina asked suspiciously from the kitchen.

"You," Emma grinned.

Regina groaned.

"Emma is telling me about her job," Henry amended.

"Oh," Regina stopped sounding suspicious and came into the living room with a trey complete with two cups of coffee and plates with apple pie and whipped cream. "That is interesting."

"I don't know what about," Emma interjected.

"Nonsense," Regina brushed her off. "Of course it's interesting."

Emma shrugged and looked at the portion of apple pie Regina had just served for her. "That looks really good!"

Now Regina was the one who shrugged modestly. "I don't know about that."

"Rubbish," Henry brushed her off. "You've always been excellent in a kitchen, _Mija._"

"You are trying to lure me into the family business," Regina teased and lifted her cup and took a sip.

"Tea?" Henry asked and tilted his head in curiosity. "My Regina is drinking tea now?"

Regina shrugged and a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Coffee's so unhealthy."

"_Ah, sí_," Henry snickered as he lifted his cup of coffee and took a deep gulp. "It sure is."

Regina rolled her eyes whilst muttering something about his blood pressure.

The rest of the evening went very well. They had coffee/tea and apple pie. Both Emma and Henry praised the pie loudly, but Regina seemed less convinced, and she didn't eat much of it either. Emma was willing to bet all her money that she was nauseous again and just biting it back because her father was here. Henry didn't appear to have noticed anything different, though. He wasn't piqued by Regina's behavior at all, and Emma could tell that Regina was relieved. She had been nervous about tonight and had been convinced that her father would be able to see or sense something.

Emma too had been nervous. Very nervous. The meeting with Cora Mills had definitely made her cautious, but Regina had been right, she had nothing to fear when it came to her girlfriend's father. Henry Mills was as sweet as could be.

"When will you be coming to Spain again?" he asked Emma.

"Soon I hope," Emma said eagerly. "I've become pretty fond of Spain."

Henry laughed in an understanding matter.

"But we've agreed that I'll be coming to Maine the next time," Regina chirped in. "I so want to see where she lives!"

"And I can't wait to show you," Emma smiled. "And for you to meet my parents!"

Regina's smile faltered for a second.

"Don't worry," Emma laughed. "They'll adore you."

"How can they not?" Henry added.

Regina rolled her eyes. "You two are both terrible. Now have some apple pie!"

Emma chuckled as she did just that. After the first mouthful, she said: "this is the best apple pie I've ever had! It's even better than the one I have at _Granny's Diner_."

Regina smiled proudly but still shook her head in denial and even gave Emma a little nudge.

Henry chuckled and winked conspiratorially at Emma who smiled back. Regina's father really was very easy to talk to, and he seemed to genuinely like her. Emma's chest filled with warmth at that thought. Lord knows that Robert and Milah Gold hadn't liked her. Especially Milah had looked at her with disdain. Shocked that the mayor's daughter could have such "unladylike" behavior. Well, obviously she hadn't said so directly, but Emma had could hear her think. And she had heard her mutter to Neal in the hallway. Asking him if he "was sure about this". By 'this' she obviously meant Emma, and at the time, Emma had been fuming. But today she couldn't care less what Milah thought of her. She actually found it to be a little funny, that the same woman who had obviously hated her guts, now was trying her utmost to get her and Neal back together. Simply because Emma was the Mayor's daughter. Hilarious, really. Emma almost felt sorry for Milah. Imagine being that obsessed with class and status and all that shit...

By the time Emma and Henry were done, there wasn't a single piece of apple pie left, and Henry patted his belly in a satisfied manner. "That was delicious, _Mija_."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, daddy," Regina smiled.

"But you didn't eat much," he continued and leaned in so he could pat her hand gently. "Do you feel unwell?"

"I'm fine, daddy," Regina said quickly. "I just wasn't that hungry tonight."

Henry seemed satisfied with that, but Emma discreetly reached out and gave Regina's knee a little squeeze. The blonde was willing to bet everything she owned that Regina was nauseous as hell.

Henry glanced at his watch and made a slight noise of complaint. "Time flies."

"And you have to be up early tomorrow because you're driving to Toledo?" Regina guessed.

"_Exactamente_," Henry nodded and frowned. "Perhaps it's time to retire. I would have more time to visit my daughter."

Regina laughed. "You wouldn't know what to do with so much time at your hand, daddy. You'd get bored."

"My wise daughter," Henry joked as he stood from the couch.

"I got it from you," Regina teased as she too got on her feet. "So you'll be leaving now?"

"I'm afraid I have to," Henry sighed. "I would have liked to stay for longer, but-"

"It's alright," Regina interrupted and smiled. "I know that you have to be up early tomorrow."

"Thank you for a wonderful evening, _Mija_," Henry said and then turned to Emma: "When will you be leaving Madrid, Emma?"

"I only have two day left here. Unfortunately." Emma's bottom lip jutted out on its own accord. She couldn't help it. The idea of leaving was sitting in her like a gaping wound.

"That's a shame. I would have liked to talk more to you," Henry said and flashed her a kind smile. "But perhaps next time you're in Madrid? You and Regina could come for dinner. I doubt I can make anything as good as my daughter's lasagna, but..."

Emma laughed as she stood from the couch. "I'd like that very much. Thank you for the invitation."

"But of course," Henry said firmly. "Any friend of my daughter- or closer than friend- is always welcome at my house. It was very nice to meet you, Emma."

"It was nice to meet you too, Mr. Mill-"

"Henry."

"Henry," Emma corrected herself and laughed a little as she shook his hand.

Behind her father, Regina was smiling at her. In a very 'I told you so'-manner. Emma reminded herself to get her for that later.

"I'll walk you out, daddy," Regina said when her father attempted to help with clearing the table. "Just leave that. Emma and I can handle it. Can't we, Emma?"

"Of course we can!" Emma chuckled.

Henry flashed Emma another smile and a: "goodbye, Emma."

"Goodbye, Henry!" Emma said and watched as Henry disappeared into the hallway with his daughter. Emma smiled because she heard words as "charming young lady" and "very polite".

Emma suffocated a chuckle. It had been quite a while since anyone had called her a "charming young lady". She didn't mind it at all.

"It's clear that she likes you a lot, _Mija_," came Henry's muffled voice. "And you seem very happy as well."

Emma shamelessly listened in as she began clearing the table. One thing less for Regina to do when she came into the living room again.

"I am, daddy. Very happy," Regina confirmed.

There was a moment of silence. Then Henry said: "but you'd tell me if something is wrong, wouldn't you, _Mija_?"

"Yes of course." Regina said a bit too quickly. "Why are you saying that all the sudden?"

"I suppose-" Henry broke off and chuckled. "No, I'm just a silly old man. I think perhaps I've been listening too much to your mother. She made it sound like you were ill."

Regina huffed. "She had no right to make you worried. I'm alright, daddy. Truly, I am."

"I can see that, _Mija_," Henry said softly. "I am sorry that I have to leave already. But I'll see you soon, _sí_?"

"In Toledo if everything else fails," Regina said and chuckled.

"Yes," Henry said, and Emma could hear the hesitation in his voice. "_Mija_, are you absolutely certain you don't mind that? I can find someone else. I know how busy you are at the bar. And with dancing! I don't want you to tire yourself."

"Regina chuckled. "It'll be fine, daddy. I can handle it. I probably won't be dancing as much in the future, so I could do with an extra job. This a gift."

Henry's grin mixed with his daughter. "Alright, _Mija_." There was some shuffling, and Emma guessed that he was giving his daughter a hug.

"I better get home before it gets too dark. You have a nice time with Emma, okay?"

"Of course," Regina assured. "Text me when you're home."

"I will," Henry promised. "Goodnight, Reggie. And thank you for a lovely evening."

"Dad," Regina scolded. "Less of the Reggie, please."

Henry laughed, and Emma desperately tried to hold her own amusement back. Reggie? That was adorable! And hilarious, really. Emma never would have guessed that Regina's nickname was "Reggie". She would have thought Gina or something like that.

There were a few more Spanish words and then she heard the door open. Regina yelled "_¡Adiós!_" down the stairs and was immediatly scolded by one of her neighbors. Emma suffocated a chuckle as she heard Regina curse at whatever neighbor and then close the door again. The floorboard in the hallway creaked slightly, and then she came into the living room again. "Oh." She smiled. "You've almost cleared the table."

"Yep, I sure have. Reggie."

"Stop," Regina said and wrinkled her nose.

"Why? Don't you like being called 'Reggie'?"

"Not in particular," Regina said and scrunched up her nose again. "But I don't have the heart to tell my father that."

"But you do have the heart to tell me?" Emma chuckled.

"_Sí_. Hearing the nickname coming from you is just strange when my father is the one to usually call me that."

"Fair point," Emma acknowledged and carried the rest of the plates into the kitchen and dumped them in the sink. She switched on the tap and began rinsing.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked as she trailed behind Emma.

"Cleaning the dishes? You've been cooking. Seems only fair," Emma said lightly.

"We could help each other," Regina pointed out.

"Or you could relax and have one of those mint drops to quell your nausea while I fix this. How about that?"

"Terrible suggestion," Regina said dryly as joined Emma by the sink and thrust her hands into the water to help with the rinsing process.

They helped each other rinse the plates and cutlery in silence for a moment, but it didn't take that long before it bursted out of Emma: "the three jobs thing. I don't like it."

Regina's soap covered hand pattered hers. "I know you don't, querida. But I have to make some money. I want to come and visit you."

"I want you to come and visit me too, but-""I'm earning my own money, Em-ma," Regina said gently, yet firmly. "That's what I want to do. That's what I need to do. I have to prove Mother wrong. Prove to her that I can manage on my own. You understand that, right?"

"I do," Emma nodded. "Of course I do."

Regina flashed her a little smile, and Emma figured it was time to change the subject. "Your dad is very nice," she said warmly.

"He is," Regina nodded as she wiped a now clean plate. "And I'm a terrible daughter."

"What?!" Emma dropped a plate back into the sink and send soap flying everywhere. "What are you talking about?!"

"I'm lying to him, Em-ma," Regina sighed, talking more to the dirty dishes in the sink than to Emma. "Don't you see? Every single time I tell him that I'm fine, I'm only adding to a lie that'll continue to grow bigger and bigger. And I'm not just talking about my stomach or nine months. This is a lifetime. My dad and I have never lied to each other. Not once. And now I'm lying to him every single day."

Emma abandoned the dirty dishes and wrapped an arm around Regina instead. "You wanna know what I think?" she asked softly.

"Yes. Of course," Regina said and shifted a bit.

"I don't think the world would come to an end if you told him the truth," Emma said gently.

Regina's lips tightened. "No, maybe not," she agreed. "And like you saw, he's nothing at all like my mother. But he still wants things for me. He has dreams for me, Emma, and I doubt me being pregnant at twenty years old fits into those dreams..." to Emma's horror, she sniffled slightly, and the blonde quickly abandoned the dirty dishes all together and wrapped her arms around Regina and pulled her closer. "Hey now," she said gently. "It's okay. It'll be okay. Don't cry."

"I'm not crying," Regina grumbled and shifted in Emma's arms. "Am I?"

"I think you are, _mi belleza_," Emma murmured as she rubbed Regina's shoulders lightly.

"I was fine a second ago!" Regina half-grumbled. "This doesn't make any- !_Ay, dios mio!_ Is this hormones? Am I getting hormonal?!"

"Well..." Emma said, not terribly keen to tell her girlfriend that this did in fact looked like a classic case of 'hormones'.

"Urgh-" Regina said and shifted in Regina's arms. "If that's where this is going, it's a good thing you're going home in two days."

"No. It's not," Emma growled and tightened her grip on Regina's waist. "Don't even joke about that."

"I'm sorry," Regina amended. "I'm probably just a bit overtired."

"Seems reasonable. You've been busy cooking all day," Emma said softly and moved her hands away from Regina's waist to take her soapy hands between her own instead. "Maybe we should try and de-stress you?"

"Oh?" Regina perked up at that. "What are you proposing, _querida_?"

"A shower," Emma said, grabbing the first opportunity that came to mind. "A nice, hot, long shower with hair wash and following shoulder rub."

"Mmm," Regina hummed. "That sounds good. But we have dishes to clean."

"That can wait," Emma said gently and gave Regina's hands a little tug. "Come on, beautiful girl. Time to relax."

"You just want me to take my clothes off," Regina laughed.

"Not necessarily, but a shower does include removal of clothing," Emma drawled and moved a hand down Regina's side to fiddle with the zipper in her dress.

Regina's laughter was sweet as honey and her steps were easy as she willingly followed Emma towards the bathroom. "Maybe I do need to relax."

"Oh yeah," Emma smirked. "You definitely do."

Showering with Regina always was so nice. Tonight was no exception. Emma basked in it all. Regina's quite shrieking when the water was too cold. Her contend "mm" when it turned warmer. The almost purring like sound escaping her when Emma started to wash her hair, and the way she almost melted back against Emma's chest when she started to rub her shoulders. And last, but definitely not least... the deliciously wicked grin spreading over her face when they had returned to the bedroom, and Emma asked if she could take "some pictures". Pictures in which Regina was definitely not dressed but showing herself off in all her glorious nakedness.

"Jesus," Emma said with a headshake and lowered the camera for a moment after having snapped yet another picture of Regina. She looked stunning. Sparkling eyes, hair slicked back and so much golden skin on display for Emma.

"I'm never going home again," the blonde declared, and Regina laughed because they both knew it was a joke and Emma couldn't stay for longer than two days. No matter how badly she wanted to.

_**To Be Continued...**_

Spanish translations=

Querida= dear.

Mi belleza= my beauty.

Maravillosa= wonderful.

¡Te he extrañado!= I've missed you!

Mija ¡Yo también te he extrañado!= darling! I've missed you too!

Mija= dear/darling

No estás engañando a nadie, papi= you're not fooling anyone, daddy.

¿Por qué?= Why?


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh fuck no!" Emma groaned as the first thing when she woke up that morning. She was going home today. Actually going home. She couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it. No. It couldn't be real. It had to be some sort of horrible bad dream.

Emma squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will herself to go back to sleep.

But her exclamation hadn't gone unnoticed.

"_¿Qué?_ Did you say something, _querida_?" Regina queried as she came into the bedroom. The hoarseness in her voice was unmistakable.

"I just said that I've changed my mind. I'm not going home today anyway. Did you just get sick?"

"I did," Regina said with a slight sigh as she perched herself on the edge of the bed. "This morning sickness will be the death of me, I'm sure."

"And I'm sure it won't. But I'm sure you threw up, though."

"Yeah, me too," Regina joked as she brushed a hand over Emma's back. "Come on, _querida_, you have to get up. We don't have that long before we have to be in the airport."

Emma groaned as she lifted her head more properly and looked at Regina. "But I just told you. I'm not going anywhere. Not when you look so delicious in that t-shirt."

Regina snickered. "Don't be silly, _querida._ You have work. You have to get back. You know that."

"I want to stay."

"I know," Regina said gently and gave Emma's shoulder a fond rub. "But we'll be together again very soon. I'll come to you, and you'll show me your town and buy me a burger."

Emma chuckled. "I sure will." She groaned some more as she pushed her unwilling body into a sitting position. She looked at Regina as she sat there with her tousled hair and oversized Guns n' Roses t-shirt. "God, you look brilliant!"

"_Tu eres tonto_," Regina laughed and shook her head. "I look like a right mess, and I'm nauseous again."

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey," Emma said and reached out so she could touch Regina's cheek. "You didn't get up last night, did you?"

"No," Regina said and shook her head. "I slept like a rock. I'm so tired all the time!"

"And you have a shift tonight," Emma said, and her mouth twisted some. She would have preferred knowing that Regina was curled up at home on the couch watching Netflix instead of busting her ass off at the bar.

"It'll be fine, _querida_," Regina assured. "It's not even the latest shift."

"Good!" Emma said and then admitted: "I really hate when you take the latest shift."

"I know," Regina said softly. "And I think I'll ask my boss to give me the earlier shifts instead. Locking up the place late wasn't my favorite thing."

"Nor mine!" Emma half-snarled.

Regina chuckled slightly. "Now get up, _querida_, you haven't even finished packing!"

"Urgh!" Emma said earnestly. "Come back to bed. Please?"

"Can't," Regina snickered. "Not this time."

"I hate this," Emma muttered as she swung one leg out of bed.

"Me, too," Regina said softly and stretched her arms above her head. "Mmm, but unfortunately, there's not much we can do about it."

"Oh god, don't stretch like that," Emma begged. "I can't handle it."

Regina snickered and rolled her eyes. "Come on, _querida_. Get up. I'll make you some coffee." With that she stood from the bed and sauntered into the kitchen.

Emma groaned out loud as she watched how Regina's hips swayed as she went. Leaving Spain was getting harder and harder. She grinded her teeth as she got out of bed and pushed her hair out of her face. She was in no mood to get out of bed. Or leave Madrid and Regina. But that was something she couldn't change. She had known from the beginning that this would be a long distance relationship, so she would just have to be a big girl about it and suck it up. She released a long suffering sigh. Her stupid ex would be back in Storybrooke, and Emma had a feeling that Neal had only just started to become difficult. He clearly didn't let go so easily. Which was ridiculous considering that he was the one who had cheated on the first place. Seriously, what had he expected? That Emma would be completely cool with it? He was an idiot.

Emma stretched her arms above her head until she heard a faint pop, and then she yawned loudly. She heard Regina laugh from the kitchen and threatened to "come and get her for it".

"Do your worst, _querida_," Regina snickered, and Emma heard the sound of the fridge opening and closing.

"I'll drag you right back to bed!" Emma warned as she padded barefooted into the kitchen.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you will," Regina said absentmindedly as she began hauling items out of the fridge. "Bacon and eggs?"

"Sounds great, but I can make it myself, you know."

Regina sighed. "Doesn't mean you should. I'll make it." she placed the pack of eggs on the kitchen counter, but when she tried to do the same with the pack of bacon, it slipped from her grasp and ended up on the floor instead. "_Mierda_," she muttered under her breath as she bent down to retrieve the escaped pack of bacon.

Emma snickered. Perhaps she should be a 'gentlewoman' and grab the pack of bacon for Regina but looking on as Regina bent over was far more entertaining. The way the t-shirt she was wearing hiked up at the movement and revealed her bare legs and the scrap of black lace that made it out for her panties. Emma was simply unable to resist the temptation right in front of her. She lifted her hand and popped Regina's bottom once.

Regina gave a surprised moan that quickly was replaced with an indignant shriek as she straightened her posture. She glared at Emma. "Did you just smack me?"

"Sorry," Emma said without feeling entirely sorry. "Couldn't resist."

Regina scowled at her. She looked so positively endearing when annoyed, Emma couldn't resist to keep up the teasing. "Was that a little moan I heard from you?"

"No. That was a gasp of surprise," Regina said firmly. Now she was glaring again.

"Okay, okay," Emma laughed and help up her hands in surrender. But she still couldn't help but tease: "so you haven't got a secret kinky side you haven't told me about, then?" she had expected Regina to snip something in return. Something biting in Spanish about Emma being an annoying so-and-so, so she was both surprised and delighted when Regina unexpectedly flushed and muttered a half-hearted: "no..."

Emma tilted her head. Seriously, that was the most unconvincing "no" she'd ever heard. "You know, for some weird reason I don't really believe you, beautiful girl."

Regina muttered something incoherent and half-assed, and Emma was like a dog with a bone now. "So you DO have a secret, kinky side?"

"Shut up," Regina grumbled, and Emma noted that her normally so golden cheeks had turned pink. She stomped over to the stove and whipped out the frying pan. As she pushed her hair back, Emma could see that not only her cheeks but also her neck had gone flush.

"You could have told me," Emma said lightly and gave Regina's elbow a slight squeeze.

"I said shut up," Regina groaned and bowed her head, so her dark hair fell down on either side of her face.

"Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about," Emma said softly and squeezed Regina's shoulder now.

Regina grumbled something incoherent again and looked only at the bacon she had just put on the frying pan.

"You should have told me sooner," Emma said as she wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and nuzzled her cheek with her nose.

"Not exactly easy to slip into a conversation," Regina said darkly. "And certainly not any conversation we've had while you've been here. 'hey, I'm pregnant, come with me to my first ultrasound, oh, look at that, my mother just showed up unexpectedly, hold my hair, because I'm constantly puking, Emma, oh, and by the way, did you know that I also like getting smacked in the bedroom?!"

"Well, I do now," Emma said with a light chuckle. "But I do wish you'd told me sooner and not on the day I'm going home. We could have had so much fun!"

"We DID have fun," Regina insisted.

"We did," Emma agreed. "But we could have had even more fun, beautiful girl."

Regina blushed again. "It'll have to wait until the next time."

Now Emma was the one who groaned. "God damnit."

Regina snickered, but the sound was still slightly embarrassed, and Emma was having none of it. "Don't be embarrassed," she insisted. "If there's anyone I wanna try different things with, it's you."

"I'm gonna burn the bacon," Regina said as she elegantly flipped said bacon. "And your coffee is getting cold."

"You want me to give up on this interesting conversation?" Emma said softly, nuzzling the back of Regina's neck now.

"_Sí_, I've already said too much," Regina quipped and shook her head.

"You've said many things," Emma agreed. "And all of them has been very, very interesting to me. Should I give you more smacks in the future then?"

Now Regina really laughed. But as soon as she was done laughing, she let out a simple: "yes."

"_Tu eres travieso_," Emma teased in the sweetest way possible. "And I absolutely love it!"

"Drink your coffee, Emma," Regina said flatly. But she was smiling at the same time.

Emma only reluctantly released her grip on Regina and grabbed the cup of coffee Regina had prepared for her. She would have loved to continue this most interesting conversation and hoped that there would be opportunity to do so over the phone.

Emma was forbidden to help Regina out in the kitchen, so she had no choice but to sit down and enjoy her coffee while Regina made bacon and eggs and hummed some Spanish song. Her hips were swaying as she danced, and Emma felt so utterly tempted to postpone the journey home with one more day and carry Regina straight back to bed again.

"How's the coffee, _querida_?" Regina asked and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

"It's perfect. Best coffee ever."

Regina snorted. "I doubt it."

Emma was just about to answer, but before she could, Regina's phone started ringing, and Regina had to wedge the phone between her ear and shoulder as she said: "_hola,_

_Alejandro, ¿Que esta pasando?__¿Qué?_ _No, no, no, no puedo. Tengo trabajo. De Verdad? Bien. Lo intentaré. Adiós._" She ended the call and put the phone down again.

"Problems?" Emma asked and felt a little twinge of concern.

"No," Regina replied as she moved the bacon and eggs onto a plate and switched off the stove. "That was Alejandro. A pretty exclusive club has hired us to do a show there."

"Oh," Emma said with a slight nod. "Are you gonna say yes?"

"_Sí_, I have to," Regina said. "It's an excellent chance, and it pays good money. And it's not until next week. I have time to prepare."

"Yeah," Emma said, but she wasn't overly thrilled about it.

And Regina knew it. "I'll take care of myself, _querida_," she promised as she came over to the table with a plate of toast and grape fruit and a cup of tea. "Don't worry."

Emma snorted. "Yeah, might as well ask me to stop breathing, beautiful girl."

Regina snickered as she sat down. "I'll be fine. I'll cut down on dancing once I've given this performance."

"I know," Emma said and wished that would make her feel calm, but it didn't. Not really. Regina would still be working two jobs while being pregnant. Emma wasn't overly thrilled about it. But she couldn't tell Regina that. Her concerns wouldn't make things easier for Regina. She insisted that she was fine, and Emma would just have to believe that.

"Orange juice?" Regina offered and pulled Emma out her thoughts.

"I'll get it," Emma said quickly and stood from the chair. Regina had been on her feet enough already. "Did you remember to take your vitamins today?"

Regina frowned. "No. I forgot."

"Oh. No problem. I'll get them for ya," Emma said easily as she headed over to cupboard and grabbed two glasses. Then she headed to the fridge, grabbed the orange juice and then snatched the prenatal vitamins on her way back to the table. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Regina said as she took the pill with a gulp of orange juice. "My god, I miss having a cigarette! Which probably sounds terrible, but..." she shook her head. "Oh, well. It's a terrible habit."

"A hard one to break," Emma said and gave her hand a little pat. "How's the nausea coming along?"

Regina shrugged. "So-so. I think I've been talking way too much about my morning sickness while you've been here, _querida_."

"You have not," Emma immediately denied.

Regina raised an eyebrow and definitely didn't look one bit convinced.

If Emma had it her way, their breakfast séance would have continued for a few hours, but today it couldn't. Because they were in a hurry.

"You wanna take a shower?" she asked once they had washed and cleaned the last cup.

Regina pursed her lips in that "hmm"-manner. "You think we have time for that, _querida_?"

"Yeah, of course," Emma said. "We'll just shower. No funny business this time."

"Oh. Right. Of course." Regina flushed a little again.

Emma tilted her head. "Where did your mind go just now?"

"Nowhere."

"Not true," Emma grinned. "I think you were thinking about having fun in the shower. Weren't you?"

"Shut up. My hormones aren't supposed to kick in until second trimester," Regina said and wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "This is all your fault."

Emma grinned. "Okay. It's all my fault. Now come on. Let's go and take that shower. Minus funny business. Unfortunately." She grabbed Regina's hand and gave her a little tug.

Regina snickered as she followed Emma into the bathroom. They shed their clothes and stepped into the shower. Soon the water was pouring down on them, and Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and pulled her closer, so they were chest-to-back in Regina's tiny shower.

"I don't wanna leave," she muttered into Regina's now damp hair.

"I know," Regina said softly and placed her hand on top of Emma's.

Emma grimaced. "And I'm probably not making this any easier, am I?"

"We knew this was gonna be tough," Regina said gently. "And you're allowed to say that out loud."

"I just don't wanna make you upset."

"You're not," Regina half-chuckled. "I was upset before you got here, yes, but then you showed up and made everything better."

"You make me sound like some kind of savior," Emma joked.

"Maybe that's exactly what you are," Regina laughed. "Emma the Savior. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"You'll overinflate my ego," Emma warned.

Regina laughed and turned around in Emma's arms, so they were face to face instead.

Emma grimaced as she briefly looked down at Regina's glorious body. "That is not fair. At all. You can't just turn around like that."

Regina ignored that. "Want me to wash your hair, _querida_?"

"Yes..."

No funny business happened. Well, at least nothing Emma would have considered to be "funny business". But that was before Regina washed her hair. For some reason, having Regina's fingers in her hair today was highly arousing for Emma, and she was a teensy bit frustrated when Regina declared that it was time to rinse. Who knew that having your hair washed could be so arousing? Emma chalked it up to be because she was leaving today.

Leaving. If there was something Emma didn't want, it was to leave. Or to pack the rest of her stuff. But unfortunately, there was no way around it, really. She had no choice. And she cursed loudly while grabbing the rest of her things and aggressively stuffing it into her suitcase.

"Careful," Regina chuckled. "It's not your suitcase' fault."

"It is right now," Emma decided as she slammed the lid shut and zipped it.

Regina snickered from her position on the counter top where she was sitting. Today she was wearing a Rick James t-shirt and a deep blue denim skirt, and she looked more tempting than ever.

"When will you be telling your parents?" she asked and fiddled with a lock of hair that had come loose from her braid.

Emma immediately understood what she meant. "I'll tell them as soon as possible. Probably when we're seated with a cup of coffee or something like that."

Regina nodded slightly. "I really wish I could have been there when you tell them. I'm the one who's pregnant. Not you. Maybe it should wait until I'm there-" she cut herself off and wrinkled her nose. "No. By then I'll probably look pregnant, and they'll think-"

"They won't think anything," Emma firmly interrupted before Regina worked herself into a frenzy. "Regina, my parents aren't like your mother. They'll be surprised, yes, but they won't judge you. I promise."

"You have to make sure you tell them that it happened before you and I met!" Regina said heftily. "Before I even knew you! That's importa-"

"I'll tell them," Emma said softly, interrupting her again as she walked over to the countertop where Regina was sitting. She put a hand on Regina's bare knee. "Try not to worry, okay? I'll them all the important stuff."

Regina's mouth twisted. "What will they think when they find out that I'm not keeping the baby?"

"That it's your choice," Emma said plainly. "That you're doing it because you want the baby to have its best chance."

Regina swallowed thickly. "I do. I can't- I would never be able to-"

"Your choice," Emma interrupted and leaned in so she could peck Regina's lips. "I'm not questioning that, and neither will they."

Regina turned her eyes to the ceiling and declared. "Hormones. Again."

"That's completely fine. Come here." and before Regina could get the chance to say or do anything, she had scooped her off the countertop and wrapped the brunette's legs around her waist.

"Em-ma!" Regina protested. "What on earth are you doing?!"

"Carrying you," Emma said like it was the most natural thing in the world. Which is kinda was, really.

"Put me down," Regina laughed. "You'll break your back!"

Emma snorted. "Seriously? You're about as light as a feather, honey."

"Won't stay that way," Regina said with another adorable wrinkle of her nose. "Imagine how I'll look when I'm six months along..."

"I'm sure you'll look amazingly cute," Emma said as she carefully sat Regina on her feet.

"You really think so?" Regina asked and tilted her head. "I don't know. I've never really pictured how I'd look if I got pregnant..."

"You'll look beautiful," Emma assured and claimed Regina's lips in a soft kiss.

Regina's arms draped around her neck, and Emma so wished it could stay like that forever. That they could stay like this forever. Why did they have to come from two different parts of the world? It wasn't fair. Emma sighed as she buried her fingers in Regina's hair and tugged her closer. Regina staggered a little as though she was drunk. Emma felt drunk. Drunk on Regina. She deepened the kiss and Regina moaned into her mouth. Her arms slipped from around Emma's neck, and Emma soon felt her hands on her hips instead. Her fingers were almost digging into her skin, but Emma didn't mind that one bit. It felt so good! It was her turn to moan. The scent of Regina's shampoo made her dizzy. Apple. Always apple. Tempting like in the garden of Eden. The irrational part of Emma screamed that she should stay one more day. But the rational (and fucking annoying) part of her reminded her that it would only make the departure harder. It wasn't like she was going away forever. She would see Regina again. Next time, she would come to her. They would be together in Storybrooke, and until then there was Skype and Facetime and all that. They would be in constant contact. They just wouldn't be able to kiss each other. God damnit!

"Air," Regina squeaked rather suddenly as she broke the kiss and let her lips hover near Emma's mouth.

"Oh, sorry," Emma said, a sheepish grin spreading over her lips. "Air. Of course."

Regina snickered. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, _querida_. I really do."

"Good, because that kiss is meant to last until I see you again."

Regina took a deep breath and squeezed Emma's hips again. "Better make it a good one then..."

"I've changed my mind. I'm gonna stay here for a month," Emma said a while later when they found themselves in the airport.

"Wouldn't that be glorious," Regina snickered and gave Emma's arm a little squeeze.

"Urgh, you look so good today!" Emma groaned as she looked at Regina. "Can I take a picture of you?"

"Make that an airport selfie," Regina said and snuggled closer to Emma as she wrestled out her camera.

"Smile," Emma said as she held up the camera.

But Regina didn't. Instead she turned her head and kissed Emma's cheek exactly like she had done once before.

"Aww," Emma swooned. "That gotta be my favorite picture!"

"_Querida_, you say that all the time," Regina laughed. "I thought the one you took at me on the beach was your favorite? Or how about the one you took of me in bed last night?"

"Oh yeah, those were some good ones too," Emma said fondly and sighed dreamily. "Remind me to take lots of pictures of you in bed the next time."

Regina whapped her arm. "You are bad."

"Says you," Emma teased.

Regina blushed prettily. "Be quiet."

But Emma didn't want to be quiet. Instead she leaned in and whispered. "We'll have to talk more about that the next time."

Regina whapped her arm again, but she wasn't hitting very hard. Emma snickered and draped an arm around her. They were sitting on a bench in the airport and waiting (dreading) for Emma's flight to be announced.

"What are you gonna do later?" Emma asked a bit small talk like.

"Sleep," Regina half-chuckled. "_Estoy agotado_."

Emma frowned slightly. "I've exhausted you, haven't I?"

"No. No-no-no," Regina smiled. "Not at all."

"You're sure?"

"_Sí_. Absolutely." Regina suffocated a yawn behind her hand. "I have to get some energy before work tonight."

Emma sighed a little bit. "You promise you'll take care of yourself, right?"

"You're so sweet," Regina beamed. "And I will. I promise."

"I just want you to be okay," Emma murmured. "You and-" she stopped herself.

But Regina was unphased as she continued the sentence. "Blueberry?"

"Yeah. Blueberry," Emma confirmed and chuckled a bit. That was a cute codename.

"I'll let you know how the next ultrasound will go," Regina said and sounded very practical all the sudden.

Emma was less practical as she cursed under her breath. "Fuck, I really wish I could be there for it!"

Regina patted her free hand. "I'm sure you won't miss much, _querida_."

"I'll miss a lot," Emma grumbled. "And I'm not happy about it."

"Me neither, but we can make it work, can't we?" Regina asked as she shifted so her head was resting on Emma's shoulder.

"Of course we can," Emma said quickly. "No need to worry about that. We have Skype. And Facetime."

"Our Skype calls did turn interesting the last time," Regina said with a soft snicker.

"Oh yeah, they sure did," Emma drawled and gave Regina's shoulder a little squeeze.

Emma's phone chimed, and it didn't take her long to find out that it was her mom who was texting her. Asking the usual questions. Was she in the airport? Would her flight be delayed? Emma texted that yes, she was in the airport and no, her flight showed no signs of being delayed.

"Your mom misses you," Regina observed and smiled softly.

"She does," Emma nodded. "Sometimes I think she doesn't want me to move out."

Regina chuckled.

"But of course I have too," Emma continued. "Obviously. I need to get a place where you can stay when you come and visit me. My parents are great, but both of us staying in their guest room..." she pulled a face. "My parents could end up forgetting that I'm an adult."

Regina laughed again. "I didn't even have a lock on my door when I lived at home. Mother wouldn't allow it."

Emma frowned. "Seriously?"

"Mhmm," Regina said airily. "You met her. She's strict. Very strict. Either you did as she said, or you didn't do at all."

"And what does that mean?"

Regina shrugged. "I was grounded a lot."

"Just that?"

"Yes," Regina snickered a little now. "My mother was many things, but she has never been violent if that's what you're worried about. She preferred giving a good tongue lashing."

"As far as I'm concerned, that can hurt as much as physical violence," Emma said.

"Yeah. That's true," Regina murmured and nodded a little. "I'm glad I'm not living there anymore."

"Me, too!" Emma said earnestly. "Very, very glad."

"Even though my apartment is small," Regina half-chuckled.

"Your apartment is perfect."

"I don't know about that," Regina disagreed.

"Well, I love it!" Emma said firmly. "I love your bedroom-"

"I know you do," Regina interrupted and waggled an eyebrow at Emma.

"And your kitchen," Emma continued without paying attention to Regina's comment. "And your kitchen. And your living room. That old couch you have... it's perfect."

"Well, we've certainly made some memories on that couch," Regina said and lowered her voice.

That did things to Emma, but she did her best to suppress every impulse as she continued: "and your bathroom! Your teeny, tiny, shower! I really love that too."

"Water's never warm enough," Regina interjected.

Emma gave her a teasing squeeze. "Was warm enough this morning."

"But normally it's cold," Regina said stubbornly.

"Not in the time I've been here." they both laughed because they clearly couldn't come to an understanding on this subject.

Silence fell over them. None of them really had the urge to say anything as they sat there. Regina's head was still resting on Emma's shoulder, and Emma suspected that she was more tired than she let on. Emma had the strongest urge to carry Regina back to bed and settle down next to her while she slept, but she couldn't do that. Doomsday was approaching. Well, not doomsday exactly, but "going home"-time. Back to Storybrooke. Back to reality. Back to an ex causing trouble. Emma sighed. She was in no mood to deal with Neal again. She thought that the tongue lashing she gave him the last time had been enough, but clearly it hadn't. Oh well. If he was planning on being an asshole, then so be it. She could play dirty to. And she was gonna. Starting with filing a restraining order against that son of a bitch. And if her ex-in-laws decided to complain, she would file for a restraining order against them too. She was done with the Gold's and their bullshit. All she wanted, was to be left in peace so she could concentrate on her blossoming relationship with Regina.

"Mmmph," Regina muttered against her shoulder. She sounded rather dissatisfied.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked and straightened her posture. She had almost been hunching over completely.

"Blueberry," Regina said simply as she reached within her purse and retrieved a mint pastel. "Making me nauseous again."

"Oh. You need the bathroom?"

"God no," Regina wrinkled her nose. "I refuse to let it come to that! I was awakened by morning sickness. That's gotta be enough."

"You would think so," Emma agreed with a nod.

Regina snickered. "I almost fell asleep."

"I know. I could feel it," Emma laughed and gave her a little squeeze again.

"Maybe I'll take a nap right here on this bench after you've left," Regina joked.

Emma's plan had been to say something funny in response, but before she could, her flight was announced over the speaker, and her heart instantly dropped right into her stomach. "Oh no."

"Well. I guess it's time," Regina said as she lifted her head from Emma's shoulder. She stood from the bench and extended a hand out towards Emma. "Come on, _querida_. You can't miss your flight."

"I don't want to leave," Emma muttered as she rose from the bench and took Regina's hand in hers.

They walked the short distance to the gate, and Emma hovered near Regina's side. She didn't want to walk through security. She didn't want to go into the plane. She wanted to turn around and get back to Regina's apartment.

Regina mostly looked like she was trying to keep a brave face, but the way her shoulders slumped easily revealed her. She was upset.

"Why is this so hard?" Emma complained.

"I don't know," Regina said and sounded a bit frustrated. "It shouldn't be. We're going to see each other again."

"Absolutely."

Regina tipped her chin slightly. "I cried the last time, but I refuse to do so this time."

"Maybe I'll be the one to cry then," Emma joked.

"Don't you dare," Regina said through gritted teeth. "If you start, I surely will follow. I'm hormonal, remember?"

"I'll try not to, but I can't promise anything," Emma said truthfully. Really, she felt like crying. Leaving Regina was ten times harder than it had been the last time.

But really, there was no way around it. The passengers flying to Boston started to walk through security, and Emma knew that she had to follow suit. But first, she wrapped her arms around Regina and kissed her goodbye thoroughly.

A surprised little gasp escaped Regina, but it didn't take long before she returned the kiss. This kiss was supposed to last until they saw each other again, so Emma made sure to make it a good one. She didn't care whether the other passengers were watching them or not. Kissing Regina goodbye was her top priority right now. And oh, how she kissed her! Regina tasted of peppermint and spice and everything nice, and Emma couldn't possibly expect herself to get enough of it so easily. She needed more time. Weeks. Months. Years. Five minutes to kiss the girl she was so, so in love with was ridiculous. Why did she have to leave? Why couldn't she just move to Spain and live off sunshine and happiness? Wouldn't that be the best thing for everybody? Right now, it certainly felt like it.

Regina's cheeks were wet when Emma pulled back. So she ended up crying anyway. Emma could feel something prickle in her eyes, but she made no attempt at hiding it.

"I'll..." Regina hiccupped and had to start over: "I'll see you soon."

"You bet!" Emma said firmly. "One way or the other." she cupped Regina's beautiful face in her hands. "Will you promise me that you take really, really good care of yourself when I'm gone? Get plenty of rest, okay?"

"I promise," Regina nodded and smiled.

"I mean it," Emma said seriously. "Don't work yourself too hard. Don't stress about making enough money to come and visit me. We'll figure it out, okay?"

Regina nodded and her chin wobbled slightly.

"And don't cry," Emma said as she leaned in and playfully kissed the tip of Regina's nose. "I can't stand it when you cry."

"I'm not crying," Regina denied. "Not even in the slightest." She pecked Emma's lips again. "Now go. Before you miss your flight home."

Emma took exactly three steps backwards before taking Regina's hand in hers. "I'll call you when I'm home."

"You better," Regina mock threatened.

"And-" Emma's gaze wandered to Regina's belly. "Take good care of..." what was she supposed to say?"

"Things?" Regina suggested lightly.

"Yeah. Take good care of everything."

"I will. I promise. I'll tell you how it went with the adoption agency, yeah?"

"Please do. I wanna know everything. And I'm so sorry I can't be there."

"Em-ma," Regina scolded. "Don't apologize. You have things you have to do at home. I completely understand that. Now GO. They're closing the gate."

Emma turned her head. Regina was right. They actually were. "Okay," she said and half-stumbled as she went back and kissed Regina one. Last. Time. "See you soon!"

"Goodbye, _querida_," Regina said softly. "You take good care of yourself too, okay?"

"Promise."

"Take some pictures for me."

"Dance some flamenco for me," Emma shot back. "But not too much, though. Not enough to make it hurt."

Regina chuckled hoarsely and gave Emma a little shove. "Off you go."

And finally, Emma did. She walked through security but kept turning around to look at Regina. She annoyed the hell out of the other passengers, but she didn't care. A moment later, there was a glass wall between her and Regina, and it almost felt physically painful to not be able to run back for one more kiss. And it was positively agonizing to stand behind the glass and watch as Regina not too discreetly wiped her eyes. But when she made eye contact with Emma, she smiled bravely and blew her a kiss.

Emma goofily pretended to catch it in the air and then she had no choice but to follow the other passengers through the hallway that lead into the plane itself. Her stomach felt heavier and heavier with each step, and an invisible fist squeezed her chest at the knowledge that soon, there would once again be an ocean between her and Regina. Emma looked down as she stepped into the plane, and by the time she found her seat, she was openly crying.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Qué= what?

Tu eres tonto= You're silly.

Mierda= shit.

Tu eres travieso= you are naughty.

Hola, Alejandro, ¿Que esta pasando?¿Qué? No, no, no, no puedo. Tengo trabajo. De Verdad? Bien. Lo intentaré. Adiós= Hi,  
Alejandro, what's going on? No, no, no, I can't. I have work. Really? All right. I'll try. Goodbye.


	13. Chapter 13

The world looked blurry when Emma tumbled out of the airplane and into Boston airport. She couldn't terminate whether it was because of jetlag or the fact that she had been sniffling behind her book for a long time before falling asleep.

She felt completely hazy as she waited for her suitcase, and she was vaguely aware that her phone was vibrating in her pocket. It was probably her mom asking if her plane had landed. Emma made no attempt at finding the phone. She did not have the energy to answer any texts right now. She was too exhausted. She was looking at the world through puffy eyes. She could barely see anything.

It felt a bit like her heart had been split into two pieces. One piece was beating painfully in her chest, while the other piece had been left in Madrid with Regina. Emma wasn't sure how long she would be able to do this. Well, at least she doubted right now. But later, when she was less vulnerable, she would be able to deal with things again. Right now, though, she allowed herself to feel utterly pathetic and miserable.

Getting her luggage took ages, and Emma was practically half-asleep and nearly missed her suitcase when it finally turned up. It was in the very last minute she "woke up" and grabbed her suitcase. At least her "elbows of steel" was still intact when she turned around and made her way out of Boston Airport. Her faithful little yellow bug was still standing parked exactly where she had left it. Emma fumbled to find her car keys and unlocked the car. She slung her suitcase onto the backseat and climbed onto the driver's seat herself. Slammed the car door shut behind her. Rubbed her eyes. Took a moment to regroup and acknowledge that she was back in the us. Emma chuckled dryly to herself. How could she ever forget? Madrid already seemed like a distant dream. A perfect, wonderful dream. Regina was right, it really was harder the second time around. Emma laughed without humor. Hard the first time, harder the second time. God know how hard it would be the third time. She huffed out a breath and rested her forehead on the wheel for a moment. She felt tempted to do two things. One: call Regina. Or two: take a nap right here real quick. She wanted to do both. But she couldn't call Regina. She was probably taking a nap right now. And honestly, she couldn't very well sleep in her car. That much became obvious when Emma accidentally got a little too comfortable and ended up hitting the car horn. The sound scared the shit out of her, and she couldn't help but laugh a little as she imagined Regina's reaction. She would probably have exclaimed '_!mierda!_' or something like that. Emma missed her so much it hurt. Thinking of how Regina bravely had tried to fight back tears and failed miserably was just so fucking heartbreaking. Emma mostly wanted to go back to the airport and ask for a one way ticket back to Madrid.

But of course there would be none of that now. A slight scratching sound from her phone made Emma lift her head and fumble to find the phone in her pocket. She managed in the second attempt and blinked to focus on the screen. Of course it was her mom asking if her plane had landed yet. Emma texted back that it had, and they would see each other soon. She sighed and squared her shoulders. Now she had to get home to Storybrooke. Back to her parents to tell the reason for her hasty departure to Madrid. She already that her parents would be surprised when hearing about Regina's pregnancy, but not judgmental in anyway. Regina had nothing to fear. Not from her parents. But Regina's own mother... Honestly, Emma was worried about the "game" Regina was currently playing. What would happen if Cora Mills found out about the baby Regina was expecting and planning on giving up for adoption? Emma could imagine that Cora could and would make Regina's life very tough. Emma could fully understand why Regina preferred to keep the pregnancy a secret, but she was also genuinely afraid that the whole thing could blow up in Regina's face if her mother found out. Emma hoped that Regina could manage to keep the pregnancy a secret until her mother was far away in New York. That was what Regina wanted herself. But Emma was also happy that she had been given "permission" to tell her parents about what was going on with Regina. Emma generally didn't lie to her parents, and lying about something this big...

Emma blinked and snapped out of her musings. She had been getting lost in thoughts, and now was not the time for that. She was on her way home. She should be on her way home. She turned her head and looked back at the airport one last time. Reminded herself that the next time she came here, it would be to pick up Regina. The thought of that made her feel better. Ish. Her eyes were still stinging with unshed tears.

But no more dilly-dally. Emma buckled her seatbelt and started the car. Made a U-turn to leave the parking lot, and then she drove away from the airport. Like actually drove away. It hurt, yes, but Emma kept reminding herself of Skype and Facetime as she drove. And tried not to think about the way Regina's chin had wobbled when she waved goodbye to Emma one last time. Thinking about that would only make things worse. Her eyes were already starting to prickle again, and Emma sniffed in, annoyed with herself. This wasn't the end of the world, for fucks sake. Lots of couples had long distance relationships. She never really needed to stop acting like she and Regina were a special case. Emma chuckled wetly to herself. Who was she kidding, of course Regina was a special case. The most special case Emma ever had met. She pursed her lips and cringed at the way her throat tightened uncomfortable. Think about something else. Think about something else. Anything but waking up in Regina's bed with her hair in her face. But Emma failed miserably...

Emma felt so utterly flat when she arrived in Storybrooke four hours later. Flat and hungry. She hadn't eaten much on the plane. She had been too upset to have much of an appetite, but now she was starting to feel it.

She unbuckled the seatbelt and exited the car. Grabbed the suitcase from the backseat and noted how chilled the weather felt. How the gravel crunched underneath her boots. Now she was really home.

Emma tried not to look too disheartened as she opened the door as quietly as possible. Afterwards she wondered why the heck she had made such an effort when...

"Emma!"

Said blonde grinned. "Hi mom, how are you- oh!" she stumbled slightly when her mom pretty much catapulted herself at her and hugged her tightly. Mary Margaret Blanchard-Swan was perhaps a small woman, but she was mighty all the same.

"Your dad and I missed you so much!" her mom gushed as she patted Emma's back thoroughly.

Emma laughed as she hugged her mom right back. "I've only been gone for two weeks, mom."

"And it's been two long weeks," Mary Margaret insisted, finally releasing her grip on her daughter. "I've been worried about what was going on in Madrid. You took off so sudden only a week after coming home from the first visit there."

"I know," Emma said and swallowed something. "Regina's...going through something, and I had to be there to help her."

"Is she alright? She's not sick, is she?" Mary Margaret asked as she grabbed Emma's hand, pulling her with her into the kitchen where a cup of coffee was already waiting for her.

"She's not sick," Emma assured as she let herself be "pushed" down on a kitchen chair.

"Then what happened?" her mom asked. "Something must have happened since you left in such a hurry-"

"Mom," Emma lightly interrupted and snickered. "I just come home. Can I have some coffee first? Please?"

"Of course." Mary Margaret deflated a little. "I'm sorry. I've just been concerned."

"I know," Emma said and smiled as her mom sat down opposite her. "But I'm home now, and everything is okay."

"So you and Regina are still together?" Mary Margaret asked plainly.

"Yes!" Emma said a bit louder than intended. "God, yes. Did you think that-"

Her mom shrugged. "I wasn't completely sure what was going on, and with the way you suddenly left, I couldn't be sure of anything."

"I've been pretty secretive about it all, I know," Emma acknowledged with a slight nod. "I had to be because of Regina. She was pretty scared and confused about everything, but she feels better now. And she told me it's okay for me to tell you and dad what is going on."

"And what IS going on?" Mary Margaret asked, eyebrows raising. "Is it something serious? Are you certain Regina is well?"

"She is," Emma nodded. "But what's going on IS pretty serious..."

"Emma." Her mom scolded. "You're stalling."

"I... I know," Emma said almost sheepishly. "It's just a pretty big deal." She licked her lips and took a deep gulp of the warm coffee. And then, coffee swallowed and as nervous as though she was the one who was in the situation, she said: "she's pregnant."

Mary Margaret's green eyes widened so much the effect could have been comically. "She...She is?!"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and rushed to explain: "it happened before she and I even knew each other!"

"Well, obviously," Mary Margaret scoffed and gave Emma a look that suggested she was dense. "What a shock that must have been for her! How was she? Is she okay?"

"She was definitely upset when I first got there," Emma said, taking another sip of her coffee. "And I think that she still is to some extent, but she was feeling better when I left. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the reason, but-"

"You respected Regina," her mom interrupted and waved off Emma's apology. "Of course I understand that."

"Of course you do," Emma smiled.

"Does she have her family's support?" Mary Margaret asked seriously.

"Her parents doesn't know," Emma replied and curled her fingers around the mug. "She's too scared to tell them. And I get why she's scared to tell her mother. I've met her. She's pretty scary. Not very nice to Regina. But her dad... well, he's sweet as can be, and he clearly adores Regina, but she's too scared that her mom somehow will find out if she tells her father."

Mary Margaret's upper lip curled in that particular way it always did when she was confronted with any type of injustice. "What a situation to be in! She's so young..."

"Yeah," Emma sipped her coffee again. "She wants to the baby up for adoption."

"Oh." Mary Margaret's voice was soft now. "Well, I think that's a very brave and mature choice to make." She took a sip of her own coffee. "And the... father of the child?"

"Not in the picture and not worth mentioning," Emma growled. "He's a miserable bastard who tricked Regina into bed with him! He told her that he was single!"

"But he wasn't?" Mary Margaret guessed, eyes narrowing and lip curling again.

"Nope. Married. And I don't know whether he told his wife, or she found out, but she's been following Regina and harassing her! One time, I saw her punch Regina in the face."

"She did WHAT?!"

"I didn't know what was going on at the time, and I didn't know Regina that well, so I couldn't do much about it," Emma said bitterly. "But if she ever comes anywhere near Regina again, I swear to god, I'm gonna fucking murder-"

"Emma, your language," her mother lightly scolded. "I understand you're worried about Regina. You've told her that she's welcome here whenever she wants to come, haven't you?"

"I have," Emma nodded. "Hell, I even offered to pay for her plane ticket, but Regina's proud. She wants to handle everything on her own."

"She's a very brave young lady."

Emma smiled a little and reminded herself to tell Regina that. "But I did come with her to her first ultrasound. That was pretty special. Not much to see on the screen, just a tiny blob, but there was a heartbeat! I had no idea a baby's heartbeat was so fast!" she took another sip of her coffee before she became too overly enthusiastic.

"How is she feeling?" Mary Margaret asked. "Is she very nauseous?"

"Yep," Emma said plainly and grimaced. "Most mornings she was chased out of bed because of it."

"Poor thing," Mary Margaret said sympathetically, but her eyes remained watchful as ever. "And how are _you_ feeling?"

"Me?" Emma blinked.

"Yes," her mom said lightly. "The girl you're fond of is pregnant. That's not the easiest thing, honey."

"Maybe not," Emma acknowledged. "But I wanna be there in every way I can."

"And when the baby comes and its time for Regina to part with the child? Emma, even though this is what Regina wants and thinks its best for the baby, even though the baby's parents are wonderful people, it's not going to be easy," Mary Margaret said gently and patted Emma's hand. "There will be emotional repercussions afterwards. Regina's state of mind will be..."

"Yeah, I know," Emma said quietly.

"I guess what I'm asking is if you can handle that?" her mother asked slowly as though trying to show Emma that she was on "her side".

"Of course I can handle it," Emma said immediately.

"I know you wanted to have kids with Neal when you were still engaged-"

"But now we're not engaged anymore," Emma interrupted and smiled at her mom to show that she wasn't angry. "And I'm glad I never had kids with him. He doesn't deserve to be a father."

"Do you still want to have kids, sweetheart?" Mary Margaret asked simply.

"Yeah, someday," Emma nodded. "Regina wants to have kids too. One day. But not because some bastard lied and tricked her into bed."

"Men," Emma's mother scoffed. "I'm starting to think that the only decent exemplar left in this world is your father."

"And Regina's," Emma chuckled. "Henry. He was really nice. And I think he adored me."

"Well, why wouldn't he?" Mary Margaret shrugged. "You're very easy to adore."

"You're biased," Emma laughed and took another sip of her coffee. "But I am happy he and I hit it off so well."

"Yes, it's always nice to have a good relationship with your in-laws," her mother teased.

Emma wrinkled her nose slightly. "Yeah, talking about in-laws... Have you heard anything from the Gold's?"

"No. Not since Neal..." Mary Margaret's voice dwindled.

"Made a complete ass of himself at Granny's, yeah, I've heard. Ruby told me," Emma said plainly. "If he does something like that again, I'm filing for a restraining order against him."

"A restraining order? Against your own father? Emma, how could you?" David joked as he came into the kitchen. "And welcome home, honey."

"Thanks. And very funny, but we're not talking about you, we're talking about Neal," Emma informed her father.

"Oh." David's mouth immediately twisted. "Well, I'd be happy to provide you with a restraining order for him. Or several."

"Let's try with one," Emma yawned as she drained her cup of coffee. "Thanks for the coffee, but I think I'm gonna go to bed and crash for a few hours. I'm absolutely knackered." She forced herself to stand up and glanced around to find her suitcase. Oh right. She left it in the hallway. Great. She tried not to curse as she made a detour to the hallway to grab the damn thing.

"How did everything go with Regina? Do we get to meet her soon?" David asked while Emma hauled her suitcase up.

"I hope so," Emma said and silently wondered how the fuck she was supposed to drag the suitcase all the way upstairs right now. Maybe she should just leave it here for now.

Nah. If she did, her mom would most certainly bring it upstairs and offer to put Emma's clothes away, and that was most definitely not required. Emma started dragging the suitcase towards the stairs.

"And, how is she?" David continued.

"She's alright, but under pressure right now." that was to put it lightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's pregnant," Emma told her father.

"My god."

"It happened before she had even met me!" Emma said defensively.

David held up his hands. "I wasn't questioning that."

"Sorry," Emma said sheepishly. "I'm just really pissed at the guy. He's a douche who tricked her, and now she has to handle this all on her own!"

David smiled that encouraging "dad"-smile Emma always appreciated so much. "Well, from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like she's all on her own. She's got the best support she could ever ask for."

Emma smiled. "Thanks dad. I just wish I could be with her all the time, you know? Her parents...well, she can't really talk to them about it because her mom's really twisted, and friends... To be honest, I don't think she has too many of those. Except for Alejandro and Diego that plays guitar when she performs." She sighed slightly and scratched the back of her neck. "I just really want to be there with her all the time."

"Emma, you're not considering to move to Spain, are you?" her mother asked concerned.

Emma chuckled slightly. "I don't think so. I have you guys here. And my friends. Madrid's so far away. Meaning that so is Regina, but I don't see any other option than long distance right now."

"Thank god for Skype," David said and smiled at his daughter.

"Yeah. Thank god for Skype," Emma parroted, because she knew that her dear old dad was just trying to help her.

"She'll come and visit you," Mary Margaret soothed. "When she's allowed to fly."

"Which I've read shouldn't be until she's past the twelve week mark," Emma said and tried not to sound too upset. "God, I'll have missed out on so much by then!"

"I'm sure she'll give you regular updates," her mom said gently. "I know that's not the same, but-"

"It'll have to do. And it will. We'll make it work," Emma said firmly. That was the promise she and Regina had made to one another, and she was determined to keep it. "Anyway, I think I'll get some shuteye. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, honey," her parents said in unison.

Emma went upstairs and crashed. Well no, first she sent Regina quick text to let her know that she was back in Maine, safe and sound. Then she chugged the phone to the side. She didn't expect to get an answer tonight seeing that it was late in Madrid. Emma hoped that Regina was asleep. Curled up in bed in that adorable way she was always sleeping during the morning. Emma smiled a little but then squirmed when her chest tightened. She missed Regina so much she was physically aching.

Emma followed Regina's example and curled up in bed. Under the covers and snug. Could have been incredibly comfortable if it hadn't been for the way her bed was so empty. There was a distinct lack of that warm body Emma had had the pleasure of waking up to for the past two weeks. No smell of apples and vanilla.

Emma's eyes stung and she squeezed them shut. She didn't want to cry again. She had done plenty of that already. She didn't want to worry her parents and knew that her mom undoubtedly would come running if she heard her cry. And right now, Emma didn't need sympathy. She needed to be allowed to be upset after having left Regina in Madrid.

Emma chuckled dryly. _I left my heart in Madrid._ Well, it certainly felt like it.

"I should have told her I loved her," Emma said aloud and cursed herself a little. She'd said, "in love", but not actually the three little words. Which she obviously should have. Regina had been insecure about pretty much everything, and it would have been nice to let her know where they stood. Emma rolled onto her stomach. She should have told her in the airport. That could have been so romantic. It would have made Regina smile. Or maybe it would have made her bawl. That was a possibility too. But seriously. Emma really wished that she had told Regina she loved her. It was gonna be a while before they saw each other again, and this was definitely not something you could say over the phone. Or over a Skype connection. No, Emma wanted them to be face to face when she told Regina.

Emma pulled the covers over her head. She was exhausted, but the thoughts about Regina filled her mind. Had she remembered to get enough rest? Had she been very nauseous throughout the day? Argh, it was absolutely killing Emma that she couldn't be there with her! Regina would be nine weeks pregnant next week. What happened during the ninth week of a pregnancy? Something important? Well, except that it would be cherry sized. Cherry. Blueberry sounded better, and Emma quite liked that "Blueberry" had become their official word for it. It sounded pretty cute.

But seriously, what happened in the ninth week of a pregnancy? Emma couldn't remember right now. But she would definitely google it tomorrow. She had promised herself to stay updated so she could be a part of everything. Every little thing Regina had to tell or was concerned about.

And right now she really needed to get some sleep...

When Emma woke up the following morning, the first thing she did was checking her phone to see what time it was. Nine o'clock. She could call Regina. And that was exactly what she did. She didn't get out of bed. She just dialed Regina's number and waited. Wedged the phone between her shoulder and ear so she could push her hair away from her face. There were rustling in the other end, and then...

"_Hola_!"

"Hey, you," Emma said and grinned automatically when hearing Regina's voice. But it didn't take long before she picked up on something in Regina's voice. "You sound out of breath. Everything okay?"

"_Sí_, I'm fine," Regina said in the other end. "I was just- never mind. I'm good. Everything's good."

"Have you been sick?" Emma asked softly.

Regina groaned. "Yes, but I didn't want to tell you because it's disgusting. It's bad enough that you've heard me puke for two weeks. You don't have to hear me ramble about it over the phone as well."

Emma chuckled softly. "I don't mind. You know that. Bad lunch?"

"Not this time. I was actually rehearsing. I guess I became dizzy or something."

"Rehearsing?" Emma echoed. "Are you dancing tonight?"

Regina was quiet for a moment.

"Regina?" Emma encouraged.

"Yes, I'm dancing tonight," Regina said and almost sounded a bit defiantly. "I have to. My shift at the bar was suddenly cancelled."

"Oh," Emma said. She supposed that made sense, but still... Regina was supposed to relax and take it easy.

"It'll be fine," Regina said and sounded like she was trying to convince both of them.

"Alright," Emma said and bit her tongue not to say something stupid like 'I don't like it' or 'I wish you'd just let me pay for that plane ticket so you could come over here and stay for the rest of your pregnancy'. No, she definitely couldn't say that.

"But if I get nauseous every time, I attempt to rehearse..." Regina sighed. "That makes things a bit challenging. Good thing I'm putting dancing on pause pretty soon."

"Mmm," Emma said and shifted a bit, so she was lying on her stomach. "I told my parents about it last night."

"About... the pregnancy?" Regina asked hesitantly.

"Yes. You've got nothing to worry about. At all. Like I told you. Well, my mom looked like she wanted to murder Robin, but-"

"Need I remind you that it takes two to tango?" Regina said dully.

"Robin tricked you," Emma reminded her.

"I was drunk and easily convinced."

"Stop it!" Emma barked. "No you weren't. You asked if he was single, and he said yes even though he wasn't. He's the bad guy here. Not you."

"No, I'm just the pregnant one," Regina dryly quipped. "But I take it that I'm welcome in your parents house?"

"I hope you're joking," Emma snorted. "Of course you are. They can't wait to meet you."

"So they don't think I'm a bad girl who got herself in trouble?" Regina said, half-laughing to take the edge of her question.

"That's not even remotely funny. No one thinks you're a bad girl. At all," Emma said firmly. "Is that clear, or do I have to come to Madrid to smack some sense into you?"

Regina laughed genuinely now. "That could be fun."

"Maybe next time," Emma chuckled, partially seriously.

"Now you're the bad girl," Regina teased.

"Oh yeah, totally," Emma assured with a smirk. "Tell me... did that rehearsal make you all sweaty?"

"It might have," Regina laughed. "Maybe I'll have to take a shower."

Emma groaned. "Damn, I'm missing out on important stuff!"

"I can send you a selfie," Regina said sweetly. "Should I?"

"Uhm, yeah, absolutely!"

She laughed again. "I'll see what I can do, _querida_. What are you gonna do today?"

"Absolutely nothing," Emma chuckled. "I am so beat from all that travelling!"

"I would be too," Regina said and sounded a bit guilty now.

And Emma was having none of it. "Stop it. I wanted to come. You didn't ask me."

"But you didn't have too either," Regina insisted. "I could probably have worked out being pregnant alone."

"I'm sure you could. Doesn't mean you should, though."

Another soft chuckle. "I think I'm getting paranoid," Regina announced.

"What makes you say that?" Emma inquired.

"It feels like my clothes are getting tighter and tighter day by day," Regina huffed. "But that can't be, can it?"

"Are you wearing something comfortable?" Emma asked.

"You could say that. I'm wearing your tanktop."

"My tanktop?" Emma frowned. "Which one?"

"The grey one that's a bit oversized. You sort of forgot it here."

"I did? That's weird. I could have sworn I stuffed it into the suitcase."

"Okay, I stole it," Regina admitted. "You're dating a criminal. Happy now?"

"You stole my tanktop?" Emma gushed. "That is the most adorable thing I've ever heard!"

"I couldn't help it," Regina said unapologetically. "I was afraid of getting lonely."

"Did you by any chance sleep in it last night?"

"_Sí_," Regina laughed. "Of course I did."

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a selfie of that," Emma decided. "Wear it tonight. Please?"

"Of course," Regina chuckled. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. Skype before you go to work?"

"Absolutely!" Regina said and Emma could hear the smile in her voice. "I'd love too!"

"Great. It's a date then," Emma said goofily.

"_Sí_, _señorita_ Swan. It's a date."

Emma smiled softly. Maybe a skype date wasn't the same as a real date. Not the same as waking up with her, or kissing her good morning (god, Emma missed kissing her!) or messing around in the kitchen whilst making breakfast, but it was something. Something that she was looking very much forward to. Anytime spend with Regina, was time well spent. Whether it was on Skype or face to face. Emma would have preferred the second option, but seeing that that wasn't possible right now, she was more than willing to "settle" for this. Be grateful for what she had and all that.

"So, when did you even steal my shirt?" Emma inquired. "I didn't notice at all."

"That's because I did it after we'd showered. You were a bit...dazed."

"Well, you had just been naked in front of me. Of course I was dazed," Emma said plainly.

Regina laughed heartedly and called her silly in that sweet manner Emma so appreciated. And on this particular morning, it made her heart swell with affection. And longing.

"Maybe I should just fly back to Madrid today," Emma said dreamily.

"Or maybe you shouldn't," Regina teased.

"I could do it, though. I could fly back."

"_Estas hablando tonterias_," Regina said.

Emma frowned. "What was that?"

"Nothing..."

"Was that something rude?"

"No, of course not."

"Oh, but I think it was," Emma said and tried to sound threathingly. "And I'm gonna get you for it the next time I see you!"

Regina laughed heartedly once more. "I can't wait, _querida. _I can't wait."

"No, me neither..."

**To Be Continued...**


	14. Chapter 14

Once she had concluded her conversation with Regina, Emma got out of bed, took a shower and redressed. She informed her parents that she would be having breakfast at Granny's so she could say hi to Ruby.

"See you later, honey," her mom said as she looked up from the morning paper. "Have you told her by the way? About Regina?"

"I have not. But I'm gonna. Right now. Regina said it was okay. She says hi by the way."

"Oh, you talked to her?" Mary Margaret smiled. "How is she?"

"Nauseous," Emma said truthfully. "Dance rehearsal made her feel dizzy."

"Oh, that poor dear," her mom said sympathetically. "Has she tried mint drops?"

"You bet she has."

"Little snacks throughout the day?"

"That too."

"Salty crackers?" Mary Margaret said. "That tends to help. Especially if she keeps a bag of it at her bedside table so she can have one before getting out of bed. It helps balancing the stomach."

Emma had whipped out her phone. "Could you say that again a tad slower?"

Mary Margaret repeated what she had just said, and Emma promptly send the advice to Regina. "Thanks, mom. Regina will appreciate it. I think she's pretty much ready to do anything."

"Is she getting enough rest?" Mary Margaret asked and frowned a bit.

"I don't know," Emma said, and her mouth twisted slightly. "I hope so. I mean, she has her dance jobs and work at the bar. But now she's gonna work at her father's restaurant too, and I..." she shook her head slightly. "I'm worried she might be pushing herself too hard."

"I'm sure she'll be okay, sweetheart," her mom soothed.

"I hope you're right," Emma said and sighed a little. "Anyway, I better get going. See you later."

"See you, honey. Have a nice time."

"Thanks mom. I will."

Emma headed into the hallway and shrugged on her red leather jacket. It almost felt weird putting it on again after not having to wear it for fourteen days. Madrid had been so hot and sunny. It felt flat to be back in grey and chilly Storybrooke. She quelled a sigh. She wanted to go back right away. Back to the sunshine, back to the blue sky. Back to Regina.

She zipped her jacket and left the house. And tried not to walk with her shoulders slumped even though she was upset. She had to keep her chin up. And of course it was nice to be home again. It was. It was nice to see her parents, and she was looking forward to seeing her friends and all that. It wasn't all bad news, and she had to remember that.

Instead of driving, Emma opted for walking. She could need some fresh air. Her head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton or something. The jetlag was giving her a massive headache and a heavy sensation in her body. She needed to pull herself together. Needed to accept that she was home in Storybrooke.

Even though the walk was short, Emma seriously regretted that she hadn't just taken the car. The weather was actually pretty cold today. Not at all like in Madrid. Wonderful, sunny Madrid... Emma dreamed herself away for a moment before she briskly pulled the door to Granny's open and went inside.

Ruby let out a squeal when spotting Emma, and she magically forgot that she actually was supposed to wipe the tables. Instead she came over and engulfed Emma in a good ol' bear hug.

"Rubes!" Emma laughed. "Air!"

But Ruby ignored her. "Oh my god, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too," Emma said, now sputtering slightly because Ruby actually was cutting off her air supply. "But please let me go, okay? You're choking me!"

"She's right, Rubes," Belle said as she stood from one of the nearby tables. Emma hadn't even seen her.

"It's so awesome to see you," Emma said strangled. "But please help me!"

Belle laughed as she came over and gave Ruby a nudge. "Rubes. You're killing her."

"Oh, sorry," Ruby said as she mercifully loosened her grip on Emma.

"Thanks," Emma said and made a point of rubbing her sore ribs. "If they're bruised, it's your fault."

"Whatever," Ruby laughed. "Now sit! Have you had any breakfast? I'll find you some."

"Breakfast sounds good. I've missed Granny's bacon," Emma chuckled.

"Regina's not as good as making bacon?" Ruby asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Regina's fine at making bacon," Emma assured as she sat down. "But that doesn't mean I can't miss Granny's."

"Fair enough," Belle laughed. "Now talk to us! You literally took off in a flash and stayed put for two weeks, and you didn't tell us anything! What's going on?"

"Well said," Ruby complimented and smiled at Belle. "I actually couldn't have said it any better myself."

"Thanks," Belle smiled, and Emma rolled her eyes because she knew right away that Ruby hadn't told Belle how she felt. And it was so painfully obvious that Belle felt the same for Ruby. Good thing Emma was home again. There was a good chance she would have to shake her friends. Repeatedly.

"Em!" Ruby snapped her fingers in her face. "Talk to us! Why did you suddenly have to leave like that? Belle and I've been going over it a million times, but we couldn't come up with something that could possibly explain why-"

"Things took an unexpected turn," Emma interrupted. "Can I please have some breakfast before explaining things?"

"Alright, alright, one brunch with extra everything, coming up," Ruby said briskly as she quickly stood from her chair and headed into the kitchen. Emma heard her talk briefly with Granny. Eugenia was clearly a bit dissatisfied with Ruby's way of just snatching a plate of brunch, but when she heard who it was for, she clearly softened, and Emma chuckled. It was good to be home after all. Nothing could beat a good brunch at Granny's Diner.

After a moment, Ruby returned with a plate of brunch balancing in her hands. "One brunch for the lady," she announced as she sat the plate down in front of Emma. "Now eat. And talk."

"First eat," Belle said and glared just a little bit at Ruby.

"Thanks," Emma laughed. "I'm sorry I didn't stop by yesterday, but I was completely beat."

"Well, duh," Ruby rolled her eyes. "Why do you think we didn't call you yesterday? We figured you would be dead to the world.

Emma laughed. "I was."

"But you're not anymore, are you?" Ruby asked and raised an eyebrow.

"As you can see, I'm alive and well."

"Good. Then talk. To. Us."

"Okay," Emma surrendered. "Okay, I'll tell you why I suddenly had to go back to Spain. But you can't freak out, okay?"

"When have we ever freaked out?" Ruby huffed.

"Well-"

"Okay, there might have been a couple of occasions, but that's all in the past now," Ruby brushed her off. "We'll be completely calm. Pinky promise."

"What's going on, Emma?" Belle asked. "Is Regina okay? Did something happen?"

Emma stuffed a piece of bacon inside her mouth and carefully chewed before saying: "No freaking out, okay?"

"For fucks sake, Emma!" Ruby hissed. "Is Regina sick or something?!"

"No!" Emma squeaked and choked slightly. "Of course she isn't! Don't say that."

"Then please just tell us what is going on!" Belle said earnestly.

Emma treated herself to a gulp of her coffee. Now she was feeling nervous about how her two best friends would react to this special and difficult situation. This was incredibly untraditional in every way.

"Regina's pregnant," Emma said finally. She couldn't keep things hidden from her friends.

"Holy crap," Ruby said plainly.

"She is?!" Belle gaped.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Eight weeks."

"Eight weeks," Ruby repeated, looking completely stunned. "That's crazy! Is she- does she want to keep the baby?"

"She wants to give the baby up for adoption," Emma said and made sure to sound completely neutral. "And I support her in that. I'd support her no matter what."

"Of course," Belle said immediately. "And the, uhh, father of the baby? What does he have to say?"

"That scumbag doesn't get a say in any of this!" Emma snapped with more bite than intended. She took a breath. "I'm sorry. The guy is just an utter douchebag! Regina met him while she was working at the bar. They talked, they flirted, yadda, yadda, but the asshole told Regina that he was single when he's actually married. His wife's been stalking Regina."

"She what?!" Ruby hissed. "Are you serious?!"

"Oh yeah," Emma's jaw tightened. "She's fucking crazy. And her husband is a goddamn asshole!"

"And Regina?" Belle asked. "How is she doing?"

"Well, she was obviously shocked and upset," Emma said. "I think anyone would be. But she's handling it amazingly. She's literally so awesome."

"This must be pretty much to handle for you too," Ruby observed. "Are you okay? You've just ended things with Neal and now this..."

"I'm okay," Emma assured. "I'm just upset I can't be there every step of the way, you know? Regina's meeting with the adoption agency tomorrow. I really wanted to be there for that. She promised to call and let me know how everything went, but it's not the same as actually being there."

"No, it isn't," Belle said as she reached across the table and patted Emma's hand.

"But I'm going to be there for the birth!" Emma firmly continued as she took the opportunity to have some of her scrambled eggs.

"What about her parents?" Ruby asked. "What are they saying about the pregnancy?"

"They aren't saying anything because they don't know," Emma sighed. "Her mom is... well, she's fucked up, to be honest. She's scary as hell, and it's obvious that Regina's afraid of her. I met her. And asked her to back the hell up when she was all in Regina's face."

"You did that? You're turning into Regina's knight in shining armor," Ruby half-chuckled.

Emma laughed softly at that.

"Was she happy to see you?" Belle asked.

"She was. Well, at first, she was surprised. And honestly, she was upset. She had somehow gotten into her head that we shouldn't be together because she was pregnant. I told her differently. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

"You love her," Ruby said plainly.

"Yes, I do," Emma said truthfully. "I love her. And I'm planning on telling her the next time I see her."

"And when will that be?" Belle inquired.

Emma quelled a sigh. "Sometime when she's past week twelve. We've read that it isn't very good to fly before." She couldn't hold the sigh back. "I already miss her, and it's gonna be ages until I see her again! This stupid distance!"

"Mm, of all the places in all the world, you had to fall in love with someone from Spain," Ruby lightly teased.

"Typically me," Emma claimed and went along on the joke.

But Belle looked quite serious as she said: "giving up the baby for adoption..."

"Yeah," Emma nodded, growing serious too. "That is one hell of a tough decision to make, but I understand why she's doing it. Not that she wouldn't be a good mother, that's not what I'm saying at all, I'm pretty sure she would be an awesome mother, but she doesn't feel ready for it. That takes something to reach that conclusion. She's only twenty years old, and she was basically tricked into bed by this douchebag who lied to her."

"What an asshole," Ruby said plainly.

"Yeah, you got that right. I think I might hate him a little more than I hate Neal, and that says a lot," Emma said and took another gulp of her coffee. "Speaking of Neal... anymore antics while I've been away?"

"Nope, just that drunken drama-queen show I told you about," Ruby said.

"Well, if he does something similar, I'm gonna kill him," Emma vowed. "Several times."

"Are you gonna get a restraining order?" Belle asked. "I actually hope you will. He was... Well, he seemed very unhinged the last time. Almost scary."

"I'm gonna get a restraining order," Emma nodded. "I'm not letting him get away with this. I want it all to stop. No more bouquets of roses and ridiculous phone calls."

"Hear, hear," Ruby said jovially and patted Emma's back. "Let's not talk anymore about that asshole. He doesn't deserve any attention. Let's talk about Regina instead. Have you talked to her today?"

"Of course I have," Emma said, now grinning. "This morning."

"And how's she doing?" Belle asked curiously. "Does she have any morning sickness?"

"Oh yeah," Emma nodded. "And she kept apologizing for it. Which was completely ridiculous because it's not exactly something she can help."

"She's lucky she has you," Ruby smiled.

"I'm lucky I have her," Emma chuckled. "This doesn't change anything for me. I still feel the same for her. The pregnancy is just a circumstance. One we'll face together."

"It's gonna be tough, though," Belle said quietly. "What she wants to do. Giving up the baby."

"Yeah, I know," Emma nodded. "It won't be easy, but I'm gonna be there every step of the way, and I'll support her in every way I can."

"You make an awesome girlfriend, Em," Ruby said plainly and patted Emma's shoulder.

Emma chuckled lightly. "Just doing what everyone should do when their girlfriend is in a situation like this." she took a sip of her coffee and then dug into her bacon and eggs again.

"And what is Regina doing today?" Belle asked.

Emma carefully swallowed before answering. "She has a shift at the bar tonight. But she also promised to help out at her father's restaurant in Toledo this week. Apparently, his best waitress quit, so they're short in staff. Regina's filling in for her." Emma shook her head. "Next week she has a dancing thing at a pretty fancy bar, and I'm worried about her. That's three jobs!"

"Wow," Ruby said. "Yeah, you're right, that is a lot."

"It's too much!" Emma said firmly. "You should have seen her when I arrived! She was totally pale and asleep at her mirror when I found her! I'm afraid she'll end up collapsing if she continues like this!" she shook her head slightly. "But I can't exactly tell her that, can I? She keeps saying she knows what she's doing, but I..." She licked her lips. "I just don't like it, you know? I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Slow down," Belle said softly and patted Emma's hand. "Has she seen a doctor yet?"

"Yeah, of course she has, she had to get the first ultrasound and have the pregnancy confirmed and-"

"The first ultrasound?" Ruby interrupted. "Were you there?"

"Of course I was," Emma said, softening slightly. "Blueberry was nothing but a tiny glob on the screen, but I heard the heartbeat! That was... well, very special."

"Blueberry?" Ruby echoed.

"Oh, right. Yeah, that's Regina and mines official name for the baby. She's struggling with saying 'baby'. 'Blueberry' is more safe."

"Oh. Makes sense," Belle nodded. "But Regina was checked out by the doctor, right?"

"Yeah," Emma confirmed. "She was. She was healthy. And so was the- blueberry."

"Then I don't think you have anything to worry about, Emma," Belle said kindly. "I'm sure Regina knows what she's doing."

"I hope so," Emma sighed. "I don't wanna doubt her, but..."

"You're just worried about her," Ruby finished the sentence. "We get it. When do we get to meet her? Will she be coming here, or are you planning on running away to Spain again?"

"She'll be coming here," Emma grinned. "And I can't for you guys to meet her! You're gonna love her!"

"I'm sure we will," Belle smiled. "It's wonderful to see you so happy, Emma. I was so worried after everything happening with Neal."

Emma shrugged. "I'm just said waisted three years of my life on that douchebag."

Belle patted her hand. "Think of it this way. If you and Neal hadn't ended things when you did, you would never have met Regina."

"Our book smart friend's got a point," Ruby said just a tad too warmly as she looked at Belle, and Emma got that urge again. That urge to grab her friends and mash their lips together whilst yelling "now kiss!". Seriously, could they BE less obvious?! She glared a little at Ruby. Didn't they have an agreement about how she would have told Belle about her feelings by the time Emma came home?

Ruby purposefully avoided Emma's eyes. So she remembered that little agreement. Good. It wouldn't be necessary for Emma to remind her of it, then. But it would be necessary for her to have a stern talking to with Ruby. Emma could tell that her friend was miserable in her pining for their mutual friend. And she could also tell that Belle was looking at Ruby in that particular way. She fancied Ruby. And Ruby fancied Belle. And Emma was the one who had to do something about it. Ruby and Belle would make an awesome couple. And why be miserable apart when they could be happy together? Emma's own girlfriend was far away in Spain. The least she could do was to ensure that Ruby and Belle became a thing.

Emma snickered a bit to herself as she scarfed down another portion of bacon and eggs.

"What are you laughing about?" Ruby asked and raised an eyebrow. "Has the jetlag made you crazy or something?"

"No, she's just in love," Belle teased.

Emma almost snorted. "Yeah, I am." And so are you. Painfully so.

"Aww," Ruby cooed. "It looks cute on you."

"It better," Emma joked. Despite the distance there was between her and Regina right now, she was happy. Happy to have told her friends the reason for her sudden departure to Madrid. It felt good that Ruby and Belle knew everything now.

There were actually very few things that could send Emma's good mood down the toilet right now. And unfortunately, one of those 'things' just so happened to walk through the door at this very moment. It wasn't Neal, though, that would have been excruciatingly. But it was "Neal senior". Meaning that Robert Gold had just walked through the door to Granny's at this very moment.

Emma pursed her lips.

"Want me to kick him out?" Ruby offered half-jokingly as Robert sat down in his usual booth in the corner.

"Nope," Emma said simply as she calmly continued to eat her breakfast. Yeah, her ex-father-in-law was sitting right there, but she didn't give two shits. Why should she? She had no reason to be interested in him.

But he was seemingly interested in her. "He's looking at you," Belle whispered discreetly.

"Is he now?" Emma whispered back. "Well, if he keeps that up, I'll be happy to make a scene." She took a gulp of her coffee and then continued to eat her breakfast in peace.

"Did you hear about Pongo by the way?" Ruby asked, completely getting the hint that they were gonna pretend Robert wasn't there.

"No, what about him?" Emma asked. "Did he run away again?"

"Oh, he did more than that," Ruby chuckled. "He chased Mal's cat into a tree. David had to climb up there to fetch him. Poor Oliver scratched your even poorer dad all the way down from the tree, and as you can imagine, Mal was pissed! She threatened to sue Archie and all that..."

Emma laughed. "Can you even sue someone for that?"

"Hardly," Belle snickered. "But you know how Mal's like when she's pissed..."

Emma laughed again and shook her head. "Funnily enough, my dad didn't mention that story to me."

"Damn pity you weren't here to see it," Ruby said with sparkling eyes. "The poor man was covered in mud and scratches when he brought the cat back to Mal."

"Oh my god," Emma shook her head again. "I'm really upset I missed out on that!"

"You should be," Ruby laughed. "It was hella funny!"

"Ruby," Belle chided, but the corners of her lips were twitching.

"It WAS funny, Belle," Ruby insisted. "Just admit it already!"

Belle surrendered and laughed. "Okay, okay. It was funny."

All three of them laughed, and Emma nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee in the process and had to be "rescued" by Ruby who first tapped on her back and then offered to perform the Heimlich method on her. Emma croakily declined and assured that she was fine. Once done coughing, she ate the rest of her breakfast and gobbled down the rest of the coffee. She groaned a bit as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Urgh, I have to go."

"Work?" Belle guessed.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I have some pictures waiting for me in the darkroom. And I have another photo job tomorrow. Wedding. Gotta prepare for that." She yawned. She didn't really want to. It felt like she had left her head in Spain or something. Both Ruby and Belle laughed when she told them that, and Emma leaned back on her chair with a slight chuckle. It was good to be back with her friends. It was good to joke around and laugh with them like she always did. Could even have been perfect if it hadn't been for Robert Gold and his creepy little eyes still staring. She would have to do something about that at some point. She stood from her chair and smiled at her friends. "I better get going. See you later."

"You wanna go get drinks this Friday?" Ruby asked eagerly. "It's been ages!"

"Yeah, sure, that sounds fun," Emma smiled.

"It's a date," Belle chuckled.

"It sure-" Emma ran out of words when she caught her ex-father-in-law staring again. She'd had a feeling that something was off about it, and now she finally understood why. Robert wasn't looking at her. He was looking, no, STARING at Belle. He was openly creeping on her in broad daylight, and Emma could feel anger rising in her body. This she couldn't let stand. The Gold's had given her so much to be pissed about lately, and this was the last straw for her. Something had to be done about it, and Emma wasn't scared of a confrontation. Messing with her was one thing but messing with her friends... Without any further ado, she stomped over to the booth where he was sitting.

"Emma," he said with faux pleasantness in his voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Tell your son to stop," Emma said plainly.

"I beg your pardon, Emma?"

Emma had no intention of repeating herself. "I'm serious. Tell him to drop it. All of it. The phone calls. The text messages. The drunken harassment of my friends to get them to tell him where I am whenever I'm out of town. I don't care how you do it, as long as you make him stop. If you don't, I'll have no choice but to call the police and report him for harassment."

Robert opened his mouth as to speak, but Emma beat him to it: "and as for the "family heirloom" ring... tell him I had a jeweler check it out, and he told me that that ring isn't a family heirloom from the 1800's. It's bought online."

Robert's cheeks reddened dangerously at that.

"And one more thing..." Emma continued, lowering her voice so her ex-father-in-law was the only one who could hear it. "If I ever catch you creeping on Belle again, I won't just contact the police. I'll also tell Milah, and despite how un-chummy she and I are these days, I think she'll find what I have to tell her interesting. Don't you agree?"

Robert looked furiously at her but didn't say anything. Instead he stood from his chair, shrugged his coat back on and then calmly walked out of the diner. His cane was clacking against the floor as he went, and he didn't look at anything except the door.

"What the fuck?" Ruby asked.

"Just a friendly conversation between a girl and her ex-father-in-law," Emma said chirpily as she skipped out of the diner. "See you later!" she left her stunned friends sitting at the table, and still chuckling to herself, Emma whipped out her phone and sent a quick snapchat message to Regina in which she told her what she'd just said to Robert Gold. She was sure Regina would find it amusing. And she did. Emma was more than delighted when her phone vibrated, and she got a message in return. '_well done, querida,_' Regina had written, and Emma felt goofily proud of herself. And curious. She asked what Regina was doing, and she wasn't disappointed when she soon got another message. Regina had snapped a picture from inside a clothing store, and underneath said picture she had written: '_I'm currently looking for a couple of maternity bra's, and I have no idea what I'm looking for!_'

Emma texted something encouraging in return and wished she could have been there to help Regina. She didn't know anything about maternity bras either, but at least they would have been together.

It didn't take long before Regina send her another message: '_I think I'll ask someone for help. Better than choosing something that isn't right. You like red, don't you?_'

Emma was grinning now. Because she could read between the lines. '_**Oh yeah, that's my favorite color!**_'

'_Great. Red it is then. I had no idea maternity bras could be this fancy!_'

'_**Exactly what are you looking for?**_'

'_Something with lots of strings_,' Regina messaged her back, and Emma groaned quietly to herself. What a little tease Regina was! She didn't hesitate to tell Regina that, and she was definitely not disappointed when reading Regina's answer to the accusation: '_you like it._'

Yep. She did. Emma couldn't run from that. And why should she?

**To Be Continued...**


	15. Chapter 15

Emma shifted impatiently in front of the laptop. Drummed her fingertips against the table as she waited for her Skype call to be answered. The drumming on the table would have been pretty annoying had Emma been in public, but she wasn't, and she couldn't help the impatient little gesture. What was Regina doing right now? Was she asleep? No. They had agreed to Skype now. Emma grimaced slightly. Maybe Regina was throwing up. Again. She still did that a lot. Poor darling. All alone. Emma's chest tightened unexpectedly, and her mouth twisted as she grimaced at the thought of Regina having to deal with this all on her own.

It was a week since she had come home from Madrid, and even though she had fallen into her old rhythm with work and friends and apartment hunting, things were still difficult. She missed Regina. Badly. Yes, they were in contact every single day, but it wasn't quite the same as seeing each other every single day. Holding her in her arms. Kissing and cuddling her. It was so fucking hard knowing that there was a screen (and an ocean) between them. Emma silently counted the weeks until she could see Regina again. Regina was nine weeks pregnant now. Nine weeks exactly today, actually. Emma quelled a sigh. Week nine, week ten, week eleven, week twelve. God, week twelve a long way away! Time seemed to stretch out in front of her. Emma couldn't help but think about how physically different Regina would be when they saw each other again. By then, there would be a bump on her stomach. An actual bump. A baby bump. Emma's heart started to beat a little faster in her chest as she imagined Regina with a baby bump.

She drummed her fingertips against the table again. What WAS Regina doing?

Emma shifted impatiently once more. She really wanted to talk to Regina. She missed her. The previous week had been busy for both of them. The photo jobs had suddenly piled up, and Regina had been occupied with working at the bar and at her father's restaurant in Toledo. Emma had been a little concerned about that, but so far, it looked like Regina was doing just fine.

Emma frowned. Now she was getting a bit worried, though. They had agreed to skype now. Before Emma had to head down to the darkroom, and before Regina went to bed. She glanced at her watch. Maybe Regina had fallen asleep? That could very well be the case. Regina was still pretty tired and tended to crash whenever she could. Emma found that to be positively adorable, and she cursed the fact that she couldn't be there to nap with Regina. And she cursed the fact that she didn't know what Regina was doing right now. Why wasn't she answering? That was strange. Emma took a deep breath and reminded herself to act normal. Of course there was a perfectly rational explanation as to why Regina wasn't answering right now. It didn't automatically mean that something was wrong. Emma really had to learn to chill when it came to Regina. She was fine. Of course she was fine. Emma was just being paranoid. She scoffed, annoyed at herself. Why was she so incapable of relaxing when it came to Regina? She certainly never had freaked out if Neal hadn't returned her calls. She had just gotten annoyed. Emma chuckled a little to herself. Made you wonder.

Emma was pulled out of her musings when her Skype call was answered, and Regina's pretty face appeared on screen. Her hair was hanging loose, and she was smiling. "!_Hola!_"

"_Hola_ yourself, pretty girl," Emma smiled. And tried not to look at Regina's chest. "Were you asleep?"

"No," Regina shook her head and made a face. "I had a nosebleed."

"A nosebleed?" Emma repeated and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Regina nodded. "Apparently, that's one of the less known side effects of pregnancy."

"Huh," Emma pursed her lips. She had never heard of that before. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that as well. You okay?"

"Perfectly fine," Regina assured with a smile.

"How's the nausea?"

Regina chuckled. "_Querida,_ you asked me that question yesterday as well. And the day before that."

"And I'll ask it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next," Emma mock threatened. "So you better answer."

Regina laughed. "The nausea's so-so. Snacking helps."

"It does? That's awesome!"

"Yeah, but now I'm just worried about putting on weight before it's strictly necessary."

Emma leaned forward a little. "Regina, you're supposed to gain weight. It's a good thing."

"I know," Regina rolled her eyes. "Just takes some adjustment."

"I can imagine."

"My pants are getting tighter," the younger woman continued. "I don't think those maternity bras can cut it any longer. I need actual maternity clothes."

"I wish I could be there and shop with you," Emma said yearningly.

"Me, too. But I'll buy more clothes when I come to Storybrooke," Regina promised with a slight chuckle.

Emma laughed too and then let her curiosity shine through: "you know why I'm calling. How did the second meeting with the adoption agency go?"

"It went well," Regina answered. "_Senora_ Ramirez was still nice."

"That's good. And?"

"I was given a list over potential parents," Regina continued. "I was literally looking through a briefcase full of pictures of couples who wants to adopt. It was a little...surreal."

"Yeah, I get that."

"How am I supposed to choose?" Regina asked. "All of them wants a baby so badly..."

Emma expressed her sympathy. "You'll figure it out."

"I hope so," Regina said. "_Senora_ Ramirez has told me that I can meet with the families and talk to them. God, it almost sounds like a job interview, doesn't it?"

"A little bit, yeah," Emma admitted.

Regina chuckled dryly. "How am I supposed to choose? I'm sure all the families are nice people," she shook her head. "Choosing between them seems so..."

"I'll help you," Emma immediately offered. "As much as I possibly can."

"I know," Regina said, but she still looked pretty pale. She actually had for most of their skype session.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Emma gently prodded. "Was it very overwhelming at the adoption agency?"

Regina shrugged. "It was fine."

"Then what is it?"

Regina made a face. "I've been reading in my pregnancy book."

"Oh," Emma said. "And what chapter are you on now?"

"'Labor and delivery'."

"Oh," Emma said again and tried not to make a face.

"_Sí_. Oh." Regina said dully. "_Dios mio_, it sounds so terrible!"

"I'll be there," Emma said immediately. "I'll be right there to hold your hand through it all and feed you ice chips or whatever you need."

Regina allowed herself to grin slightly before she turned serious again: "what if the birth starts before you get here?"

"It wont," Emma said firmly. "I won't miss it for anything. I'll stay a month if necessary."

"A month?" Regina chuckled.

"Yeah. A month. Apart from the delivery stuff, what else have you read about? Something interesting?"

"I've been reading about "fetal movements"," Regina said. "A lot less scary than reading about the birth."

"Fetal movement," Emma nodded. "Fancy word for when the baby starts kicking."

"_Sí_. Apparently, it's called "quickening". Did you know that?"

"No, I had no idea. And when will you be able to feel those...fetal movements?"

"Between week 16 and week 25," Regina said and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Since this is my first pregnancy, I might not be able to feel anything until week 25." She chuckled slightly. "I think that's gonna be strange. Feeling the baby kicking."

"It might," Emma nodded and smiled.

"You'll be able to feel it too," Regina pointed out with a grin.

"If you let me," Emma teased.

Regina practically scoffed at that. "_Querida_, when have I not let you touch my body? Getting a belly won't change that..." she paused and made a face. "At least I hope it won't change that."

"It won't," Emma said quickly and firmly. "You look beautiful now, and you'll look beautiful with a belly."

Regina chuckled again, pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You think so? I can't really picture myself looking...pregnant."

"You'll look so cute!" Emma gushed and laughed.

Regina laughed too and then wrinkled her nose slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"_Me esta dando hambre_."

"Huh?"

"I'm getting hungry," Regina quickly translated. "Do you mind if I eat while we talk?"

"I'd be more upset if you didn't. For gods sakes, Regina! If you're hungry, then eat!" Emma scolded.

Regina chuckled lightly. "_Ya vuelvo_. Don't go anywhere, _querida_."

"Definitely not planning on that," Emma assured as she jokingly waved Regina off. "Now go! Get some food, woman!"

Regina chuckled again and then she disappeared and left Emma to stare at the empty space in the couch. And the white wall revealing that Regina was in Toledo and not in her apartment in Madrid. She was supposed to stay in Toledo for another two days before she could head home. And then she would do it again next week. Emma wasn't completely sure she liked that, but there was little she could do about it.

She raised an eyebrow when she heard the sound of something heavy falling to the floor and a mumbled: "_mierda_!" from Regina.

"Everything okay?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. Just spilled some orange juice," Regina's bodyless voice said. "It went everywhere!"

"Oh. Shit."

"Mmm, I'm just grateful I can still bend down. Otherwise I would have no choice but to leave it to stain, and I'm pretty sure my dad wouldn't like that," Regina joked, and Emma heard the sound of the water being switched on.

Emma chuckled quietly to herself.

"Not funny," Regina warned through the stream of water.

"Sorry."

She chuckled. "No you're not."

"I swear I am," Emma assured as she desperately tried to scold her features into something serious.

"Right," Regina huffed sardonically as she came into view again, now armed with churros and what appeared to be a bowl of chocolate sauce.

Emma raised an eyebrow and was just about to tell Regina how envious she was. But before she could, Regina made a face and said: "I know, okay? You don't have to say anything."

"What? I was only gonna say that I was jealous and wanted some."

Regina deflated a little. "Oh."

"And that you look good in my tanktop."

"You'll never get it back," Regina warned. "It's my favorite piece of clothing even though it's a bit oversized."

"It won't stay that way," Emma said before she could stop herself. Seriously, Regina's breasts looked like they were about to pop right...

"Are you staring at my chest?" Regina interrupted her train of thoughts.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Em-ma..."

"Maybe I am a little bit. Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Don't be. They baffle me too every time I'm standing in the shower-"

"Okay, can we not talk about you showering? It's too painful."

Regina snickered as she dunked a churro into the bowl of chocolate sauce. She took a bite and then straight up moaned a little bit. "_Dios mio_..."

"Yeah, I agree," Emma croaked. "Could you maybe not make that sound?"

"But the food's so good!" Regina mock-whined.

Emma made a face and found it safest to change the subject. "How are things going in Toledo? Is it okay living in your dad's apartment?"

"_Sí_, it's fine. But he keeps texting me all the time to make sure there's enough food in the fridge and that the water is warm enough," Regina laughed. "Isn't he sweet?"

"He sure is," Emma smiled. "And... have you heard anything from your mom?"

Regina carefully took a bite of a churro and chewed before answering. "No. But I can imagine she's busy packing for New York."

"Right. And how is it to work at your dad's restaurant? Please tell me you're not lifting overly heavy things!"

Regina laughed. "I'm not. And it's actually been really fun. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed it."

"Running around with trays?"

Regina chuckled. "I meant the whole atmosphere of the restaurant. It's actually really fun."

"Good. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. But promise me that you won't lift anything too heavy."

"I promise. But I am closing for the night tomorrow."

Emma groaned. "Seriously?"

Regina shrugged innocently as she dunked another churro in the chocolate sauce. "Someone has to do it. And I don't think the boogey man will be coming for me."

"Of course he won't," Emma huffed and felt pathetic as she continued: "but you'll be...all alone."

Regina laughed again. "No, I won't. I have Blueberry, remember?"

Emma laughed involuntarily.

"Always there to keep me company," Regina said lightly as she dunked another churro into the bowl of chocolate sauce. She took a large bite and a ran a finger over the corners of her mouth where the chocolate had dripped a bit. Her tongue peeked out to lick the chocolate away from her fingertip.

Emma cleared her throat in an attempt to distract herself from the tempting image on the computer screen. Regina eating chocolate. Regina licking chocolate of her fingertip. Regina coated in chocolate just waiting for Emma to lick it- okay, Emma was enormously horny! She shook her head firmly and cleared her throat again.

"Is something wrong?" Regina asked, and Emma watched her intensely in an attempt to figure out whether Regina knew what she was doing or just playing the innocent. Or just was genuinely confused. Emma failed to figure it out. Regina looked so sweetly confused as she sat there with her churros.

"No, I'm good," Emma assured.

"Oh, good. So? How was your night out with Ruby and Belle?"

"It was very nice," Emma smiled. "We had such a good time."

"You've missed your friends," Regina said simply.

"Yeah. When I'm in Spain, I miss my friends and my parents, and when I'm home, I miss you. So much." Emma couldn't quell a sigh.

"It'll only be a few weeks before I come to Storybrooke," Regina reminded her.

"Yeah. 'A few weeks.'."

"That's not so bad," Regina said encouragingly. "Just gotta get past that twelve week mark."

"And an ultrasound I can't be there for," Emma sighed again. She couldn't help it.

"I'll tell you everything that happens," Regina promised and straightened her posture slightly. "Did you know that if I poke my belly during the ultrasound, I'll be able to see movement on the screen? Isn't that insane?"

"It is," Emma said and smiled a little. "Do you think there's any chance you can record it if you decide to try?"

"Of course," Regina chuckled. "I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking. What did you have for dinner?"

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"What, I'm making small talk."

"And dragging out the time because you don't want to go down to the darkroom."

"Maybe that too. But just answer the question, okay?"

Regina laughed again. "I had paella."

"Oooh," Emma gushed. Regina's paella was amazing. And Emma still hadn't mastered it.

"It was really good," Regina said and didn't even attempt to be modest about it.

"I believe you. Your paella is always awesome!"

"Blueberry wanted paella," Regina dryly joked. "And now it wants churros. I'll end up looking like a whale."

"No, you won't."

"Yes I will. If I keep this up, I will."

"You're supposed to gain weight."

"Not this rapidly, I'm sure."

"And I'm pretty sure you're following the weight curve beautifully. Blueberry is actually supposed to reach a growth spurt between week 9 and twelve."

Regina snickered. "How come I'm the pregnant one, but you know more about it than I do?"

Emma shrugged lightly. "Maybe I've read up on it a bit."

"I should too," Regina acknowledged as she took another bite of a churro.

"Those looks so good," Emma said spontaneously.

"They are," Regina said, and her tongue peeked out to lick chocolate away from the corner of her mouth.

Emma groaned. "Could you not?"

"_Que_?" Regina said confused, and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Is something wrong?" Regina asked and tilted her head in that sweet way she so often did.

"No," Emma said and did her utmost to quell a sigh. "Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah. Absolutely. What time are you meeting at work tomorrow?"

"At six."

"And you get off at?"

"Eleven."

"Regina."

"I know, okay?" Regina sighed. "It's late, but it was an emergency. I had to say yes."

"Of course you did," Emma half-groaned. That was the problem. Regina was so nice she always said yes to everything. She didn't know how to refuse. "Call me when you're done?"

"_Por supuesto_," Regina said and rather suddenly put the bowl of chocolate sauce and the churros down. Her face almost went green.

"Are you alright?" Emma asked alarmed and raised an eyebrow.

Instead of answering that, Regina said: "I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Give my best to your parents."

"I will. Talk to you tomorrow, bye," Emma said hastily and cut the Skype connection between them. Then she sighed. Poor thing. Regina was clearly getting nauseous again. Emma reminded herself to send Regina an abundance of smiling emojis in ten minutes or so. Just to cheer her up a little.

She switched the laptop off and then left her room to go downstairs. She found her mother in the kitchen and that wasn't so surprising. She always liked to sit in the kitchen and do her work whenever she was working from home instead of going to the office. She looked up when Emma came into the kitchen. "That was early," she observed. "I thought you would be talking for longer?"

"Regina got nauseous, so we had to cut the Skype session short," Emma explained.

"Oh. That poor dear."

"Yeah, you got that right. I could just kill Robin!" Emma said spontaneously.

Her mom wisely ignored that and shuffled through her paperwork once before continuing the conversation: "she seems to be battling nausea a lot."

"Oh yeah. Definitely. She can't really stomach anything these days."

"Hmm," Mary Margaret said. "And the doctor is certain that she's not having twins?"

"Mom!"

"I'm just saying that extreme morning sickness can be a sign that she's carrying more than one baby."

"She is not!" Emma said firmly. "When we were at the doctors, there was only one heartbeat!" she shook her head. "And I am definitely not telling her this! It would freak her out! God, mom!"

"I was just trying to help," her mom soothed. "If she's carrying more than one baby, she needs extra attention and guidance from her doctor."

"Well, she's not carrying more than one baby," Emma said firmly.

"Of course not," her mom said, dropping the subject entirely.

"Jesus," Emma said with a headshake and then announced: "I'm going to the darkroom."

"Okay, honey. See you later."

"Yeah. And cut the twin talk, alright?"

Her mom chuckled softly. "Okay. I will."

"Thank you," Emma said with a slight huff. Then she ventured down to the darkroom and shook her head before finding her phone and sending that row of smiling emojis to Regina.

It didn't take long before Regina answered her. Emma couldn't help but grin when she saw that answer. A single emoji. A pregnant woman emoji. Emma chuckled to herself. Regina still had an excellent sense of humor. Emma replied with a bit of a command: '_**go to bed!**_'

Regina's answer made her smile again. It was a selfie of Regina lying in bed with the sheet pulled up so only her nose and eyes were visible. Emma promptly saved the picture, wished Regina a good night and then switched her phone off so she could do what she came here to do. Work. Well, not work-work. Technically, this wasn't something she had to do. But it was something she wanted to do. She was in the middle of processing pictures for an album she was creating. An album containing pictures of Regina. She had spoken a lot of her body and how insecure she felt about gaining weight and losing her figure. Emma hoped that this album would help with boosting her confidence. She already had plenty of pictures for the starting phase, and her plan was to take pictures of Regina all through her pregnancy, process them in the darkroom and then add them to the album. Give Regina some memories. She was entitled to having memories of this period in her life. It was a life changing phase, Regina had said that herself, and she had actually joked about how Emma had to take "lots of pictures to document everything happening". So that was exactly what Emma was doing right now. Documenting.

Emma whistled quietly to herself while working, and she chuckled upon realizing that she was in fact whistling that Spanish song Regina had been singing when they drove to Marbella. That had been such a good trip! She hoped that they could take similar trips soon. That could be so much fun too. Emma would definitely take Regina to the beach when she came here. It wasn't Marbella, but it was good enough. Pretty decent for a beach. And she could take more pictures. How different would Regina look when they saw each other again? Week twelve. She would be having a little belly by then, wouldn't she? Emma tried not to gush when imagining how cute Regina would look with a little belly. God, Emma couldn't wait to bring her to Storybrooke and introduce her to her friends and family. She already knew that everyone would love Regina. How could they not? She smart, funny and well-spoken. Not a knucklehead like Neal. Seriously, the first time Emma had brought him home, he had barely grunted in response when spoken to. At the time, Emma had found it to be sexy for some reason. Today she wanted to vomit in her own mouth a little bit. How could she possibly have found that to be sexy? Had she been an idiot or something?

She chuckled. Maybe she had in fact been an idiot. At least blind. On both eyes. She shook her head. She hoped that Neal wouldn't be a problem anymore. She didn't have time for that. She just wanted to look ahead...

Another week flashed by in the blink of an eye, and suddenly Regina was ten weeks pregnant. And Emma was sure she was starting to show. It couldn't just be Emma's mind playing tricks on her. Regina was definitely sporting a teeny tiny bump now. One that could be "excused" with too many churros as Regina put it, but nevertheless a bump. But it wasn't just her stomach shaping up. Her cheeks seemed fuller too. And her breasts. But that was definitely not something Emma was paying attention to. Absolutely not.

Regina was still battling morning sickness. Her normal bras had been replaced with maternity ones, and she had started to favor "stretchy" skirts and pants, wrap dresses and "boxy" shirts. She was still helping out at her father's restaurant in Toledo, and Emma could see the growing stress in her eyes. For now, she could hide her growing bump under sweatshirts, but she wouldn't be able to use that method forever. The bump would only continue to grow. She had to get out of Toledo before that happened, and since she was staying in her dad's apartment, he often "popped by" unexpected just to see how she was doing. Regina had told Emma that while she loved his little visits, they also were an enormous stressor for her. But she couldn't exactly tell him to stop coming by. She didn't want to hurt her dear father, and it was his apartment.

Emma did what she could to encourage and help. She and Regina could talk for hours via Skype. Often late when Regina had finished a shift at the restaurant. Emma would get comfy and make Regina laugh because of her odd sitting position, and Regina would lie down and "flatten out" on her bed as Emma called it. Regina had developed new "symptoms". Round ligament pain. A super fancy name for aches you got when your abdomen starts to stretch to make room "for baby". It was a pretty painful condition, and Regina had followed Emma's (stern) advice and called Dr. Rivera to ask her about it. The doctor had soothed her fears and told her that round ligament pain was completely normal, but if they got worse, she should come to the clinic and get checked out. Emma had made Regina swear that she would do so.

So basically, Regina was zapped. She was throwing up in the morning and her hormones were racing and making her snappy and/or emotional. To put it plainly, she was the happiest when she could curl up in bed with a bowl of ice cream whilst chatting to Emma on Skype. Emma's heart went out to her. Regina was clearly struggling, and Emma quietly thought to herself that she couldn't really see the glamorous about being pregnant. To be perfectly honest, it seemed like a right nightmare. She winced every time she saw those deep, dark circles underneath Regina's eyes. They told the tale of how exhausted she was. There had been many occasions where Emma had to grind her teeth in order not to say something about Regina overworking herself. Instead she just silently prayed that Regina's father would hire a new waitress soon. Regina needed some time off and she needed it now. It couldn't wait until she was coming to Storybrooke. She was pregnant for fucks sake! She was supposed to rest not rush around with heavy trays and shit. It was too much.

The following afternoon found Emma at Granny's where she was venting to Ruby and Belle. "She's overworking herself, I know she is! She's carrying trays even though she shouldn't be lifting heavy stuff, and she has to wear oversized shirts all the time! Her dad was literally the sweetest man, but he has to stop popping by the apartment unannounced! The last time he did, she barely had the chance to put on the shirt! It's ridic-"

"Emma," Belle chided as she put a hand on Emma's arm. "Breathe."

Emma made a frustrated huff.

"And have some cocoa," Ruby added. "You're running out of steam."

Emma took a sip of her cocoa. "I'm sorry," she amended. "I'm just so frustrated! She's stuck in this difficult situation, and I'm all the way over here and can do absolutely zero to help her!"

"You're talking to her every day," Belle said softly. "I'm sure that helps her a lot. Having someone to talk to about what's going on."

"I'm not so sure about that," Emma said and made a frustrated grimace. "'Cause the past two days she has started to just say "fine" when I ask her how she's doing. I think she feels guilty for "dumping on me"-" she made quotation marks to stress her point. "Or some shit."

"Oh," Belle said with a slight nod.

"Which is fucking ridiculous," Emma sighed. "Because she KNOWS I want to hear about this stuff. I don't mind at all."

"I'm sure she knows that," Ruby soothed. "Is she meeting up with that couple- what's their names- tomorrow?"

"Alessandra and Sofía," Emma supplied. "Yep, that's tomorrow. And she promised to tell me all about how it went. I hope she will."

"Of course she will," Belle said and patted Emma's arm again. "She's just under a lot of pressure right now."

"And so are you," Ruby added and tapped Emma's mug of cocoa. "Drink!"

"Did you spike it with something?" Emma joked as she lifted the mug and took a sip.

"No, but maybe I should have," Ruby snickered. "Loosen you up a bit."

"I'll loosen up when I see Regina," Emma muttered almost defiantly as she took another gulp of her cocoa.

Both Ruby and Belle laughed at that, and after a moment Emma joined them. She wasn't so stressed she couldn't see that her tone had been funny.

"Won't be long now," Ruby said jovially. "Just two more weeks."

"Yeah, and a doctor's appointment I can't be there for," Emma sighed. "The twelve week scan is apparently a pretty big deal, and I really wanted to be there. Damnit."

"She could get another ultrasound here," Ruby said.

Emma looked up. "Huh?"

"Your mom is thick as thieves with Doc," Ruby said simply. "And he does take great pride in owning a walk in medical clinic. You could pitch the idea for Regina. If she says yes to a second ultrasound, you could be there for it."

"Oh my god," Emma stared at her best friend. "Ruby, you are brilliant!"

"You really are," Belle said and flashed Ruby a look of pure admiration.

Emma had excepted one of Ruby's confident 'damn right I am' or something like that, but instead Ruby blushed like a sixteen year old as she shyly said: "thanks, Belle."

Emma rolled her eyes and reminded herself to have that stern talk to with both of her friends soon. She had to do something about this endless, excruciating pining. She was planning on saying something sarcastic, but before she could, her train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of her phone going off in her pocket. Emma fished the phone out of her pocket and smiled. "That's funny. It's Regina. Maybe she could sense we were talking about her or something."

"Great. You can ask her about the second ultrasound then," Ruby said briskly.

"I could," Emma said a bit distracted as she looked at Regina's caller ID. "This is a bit weird, though. She should be in the middle of an evening shift right now. I hope everything's okay." She slid a finger over the screen to accept the call and then she brought the phone up to her ear. "Hey, sweetheart."

"_Hola_," it came almost timidly in the other end.

"Hi," Emma said warmly and could feel that ridiculous dopey smile spread on her lips like it always did when she was talking to Regina. "I thought you were at work right now?"

"I am," Regina said quietly, and now Emma could hear the faint rustling and bustling of a busy restaurant in the background.

"Well, I always love to hear from you," Emma said lightly. "But you sound a bit strange. Is everything okay?"

"No. _Definitivamente no_."

Emma frowned now. Regina definitely sounded weird. "What's going on?" she asked and grew a bit anxious.

"Robin is here..."

**To Be Continued...**


	16. Chapter 16

Emma spat out the sip of cocoa she'd just taken. It dripped down her chin and even felt like it was spraying out of her nose as well, but she couldn't have cared less. She hastily grabbed a napkin and wiped her chin. "What?" she croaked and coughed slightly. "What?!"

"Robin's here," Regina dully repeated.

Emma immediately felt the strongest urge to whack him, and her murderous intentions clearly made her a bit slow. "In... In the restaurant?!"

"_Sí_, in the restaurant," Regina said just as matter of factly. "He's currently sitting at a table by the window and laughing and joking. With his son..."

"Oh my god..."

"Emma, he has a son!" Regina exclaimed and suddenly sounded alarmingly close to tears. "He has the most adorable, curly haired little boy and in a moment, I'm supposed to go over there and take their orders! I don't know what to do!" she sniffled wetly.

"Oh no!" Emma said. "Don't cry, Regina, please don't cry!"

Ruby and Belle both looked concerned.

"S-Sorry," Regina stuttered and sounded like she was trying to pull herself together. "It's just the hormones."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Emma dismissed. "Where are you right now?"

"In the backroom," Regina replied. "I sort of...made a beeline when Robin and the kid came in. Said that I would take a quick break..."

"Is there any way you can avoid serving him?" Emma asked. "There are other waitresses there, right?"

"_Sí_, Luisa and Carlota, but they're busy. Luisa is working in the bar, and Luisa is cleaning dishes. I can't ask to switch with one of them. I was the one who said I'd be in charge of serving because the restaurant isn't busy right now..."

"Tell them..." Emma grappled for something. "Tell them you don't feel so good!"

"I can't do that, _querida_. Luisa has already commented on how pale I look. If I tell them I feel ill, they'll call my father or something."

"Your father isn't there today?" Emma asked.

"No, and I thank my lucky stars for that," Regina said and clearly tried to joke a little. "God, I actually have to take his orders and bring him his food! Like I haven't given him enough already!"

"That's not even remotely funny," Emma said before asking: "any chance they've changed their mind and left?"

"Not a chance," Regina said disheartened. "I'm standing and looking at them, and they look awfully-"

"What?" Emma asked, both confused and alarmed over the sudden break. "Regina? Regina are you still there?" if her phone had decided to call the quits on her now, Emma would seriously throw it across the room!

"I'm here," Regina said quietly. "Sorry, but something just happened."

"What happened?" Emma asked. Now she really felt alarmed.

"I think he saw me."

"No!"

"Oh yes, I'm pretty sure he did," Regina said bitterly. "I don't think his face would have gone so white for no reason..."

"Please tell me he's grabbing the kid and leaving the restaurant as we speak!"

"Hold on." there was some shuffling in the other end, and then Regina's voice again: "No, doesn't look like it. He just looks really uncomfortable."

"Oh, so HE'S uncomfortable?!" Emma spat. "Well, isn't that just a fucking shame!"

Regina chuckled wetly again. "I almost wish my father was here today. He knows the story. Or parts of it. He could have come up with some great excuse to throw Robin out..."

"You can't serve them!" Emma said pathetically. Fuck, why was she not in Spain right now?!

Regina chuckled wetly. "I don't think I can get out of it. I can't hide in the backroom forever. At least it's just him and the kid having some sort of father-son dinner. If Marian came in... I have a nasty feeling she would sense that there was something different about me. Or maybe even see it. The shirt I'm wearing over my dress today isn't the most..." There was some shuffling and Emma heard her speak Spanish to someone. Emma glanced at Ruby and Belle. They both looked worried, and Ruby mouthed 'what?'

"'Trouble,'" Emma mouthed back and then continued her phone conversation. "Regina? You still there?"

"Yes, I'm still here," Regina said quietly. "I just had to get out of the backroom because Luisa had to get in. Too crowded for two people."

"So you're in the restaurant itself now?"

"I am," Regina confirmed.

"Is he looking at you?"

"Yes." Regina sighed. "I have to go. I'm not supposed to be on my phone while I'm working. I could get in trouble."

"Are you gonna serve him?"

"I have no other choice, _querida. _I'll call you later, okay? When he's gone."

"Isn't there any way I can stay on the phone with you while you take his order?"

"I don't think so," Regina said quickly and sounded more stressed than ever. "I'll call you later. Bye."

"Wait, Regina-" but Regina had already hung up on her. "Damnit!" Emma cursed as she slammed the phone down on the table.

"What's going on?" Belle asked concerned and sat her cup of coffee down.

Emma was fuming as she said: "the douchebag who knocked up Regina is at the restaurant."

"You're kidding me!" Ruby said and slammed a fist onto the table.

"With his SON," Emma added and curled her hands into fists. She felt SO tempted to grab her phone and buy a plane ticket to Madrid right then and there. "Apparently, he's a real family man!"

"A family man who clearly has no problems with lying about being single to coax a girl into bed with him!" Belle sneered. "God, what kind of man does that?!"

"The douchebag kind," Ruby answered the rhetorical question before turning to Emma: "is Regina okay?"

"Not even in the slightest. She's actually supposed to bring that guy food!" Emma fumed. "She's supposed to play the nice waitress when he has completely fucked up her life! God, I could kill him!"

"We're right behind you," Belle assured and nodded towards the phone. "Call her again."

"I can't," Emma sighed. "She's not supposed to be on her phone when she's at work. She promised she would call me later. When he's gone."

Ruby's eyes widened. "You don't think he'll be able to see that she's..."

"I hope to hell he won't!" Emma hissed. "I mean, sure there's a little bump on her stomach now, but it's not something a guy would notice. Right?"

"Right," Ruby said, and Belle repeated it. But in that slow manner she so often spoke in when she was uncertain of something. Emma grinded her teeth. She had seen Regina's belly when Regina had leapt from her sitting position and shrugged her oversized shirt of and jokingly showed off "_la protuberancia_" or "_arándano_" as she called it. Regina's baby bump was getting more and more noticeable, and if Robin was particularly attentive towards her, he might notice something. Put two and two together. And if he did that...

Emma's hands balled into fists once more. No. That could not happen! Regina finally felt that she was in control over the future. She was gonna meet a lovely couple and potentially pick those as the baby's parents. The last thing she needed was Robin intervening with her life. He had already done plenty of that. Emma shook her head once in an attempt to be rid of the image of Regina naked and drunk in bed with that asshat.

"Well, he's not gonna say anything to her now," Ruby said with much certainty. "Not when his son is there."

Emma shook her head. "He better fucking not! And if he does, I will hunt him down and kick him in the balls! God!" she slammed a fist against the table again. "I can't believe he's got a son! I seriously cannot-"

"Em," Belle gently interrupted and pushed the mug of cocoa towards her. "You should drink something."

"I don't need cocoa, I need a plane ticket to Madrid asap," Emma grumbled. But she took a sip of her cocoa anyway. And the warm, sweet taste actually did make her feel a little better. "I'm just so frustrated," she said quietly. "Regina's all the way over there, and she's completely alone. I'm literally the only one she can talk to about the pregnancy, and now she has to deal with that asshole too!" she angrily rubbed a hand over her face. Could actually feel tears of frustration in her eyes.

"We get it," Ruby said softly. "You love her. Of course you're worried about her."

"I just want her here," Emma muttered pathetically and swiped a finger over her eyes.

"Of course you do," said Belle and gave her hand a squeeze. "And she'll be here soon."

"In two weeks," Emma said glumly. "Too many things can happen in two weeks!"

"Nothing's gonna happen to her, Em," Ruby soothed. "She'll be fine. And so will Blueberry."

Regina smiled a little at the mention of Blueberry. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. Of course they'll be fine. I'm just being-"

"An affectionate girlfriend," Belle finished the sentence with a smile. "Nothing wrong with that. I'm sure Regina appreciates that."

Emma let out a little sigh. "I hope she'll call me soon."

"I'm sure she will," Ruby said. "Now have some more cocoa. It's on the house."

Emma obediently took another sip of her cocoa, but this time it didn't feel quite as soothing. She was seething with anger, and despite never having laid eyes on him, she imagined Robin (in her mind, he had a camel's face) sitting in the restaurant and joking with his precious son. God, what kind of father was he when he so easily could cheat on his son's mother?! Emma sucked in a breath. What if he would stare at Regina? Leer at her? Be creepy and perv on her? God, Emma would definitely come to Spain and murder him if it turned out that he had done something like that. She looked at her silent phone on the table. She hoped Regina would call her soon. She felt tempted to call her, but Regina was at work right now. She shouldn't be on her phone.

After having concluded her visit to Granny's Diner, Emma came home and pretended to do some work on her laptop. She was supposed to reply to a few emails and schedule some photo jobs, but she couldn't concentrate. She was too worried about Regina. She wished there was some sort of way she could have been there to watch over her all the time. Emma grinded her teeth. If Robin that asshole said something to her, she was gonna fucking murder him. She glanced at her watch. One forty five. Meaning that it was seven forty five in Spain. Regina's shift wouldn't be over until in a couple of hours! God damnit!

Emma cursed in frustration and since she couldn't kick Robin in the balls, she had to settle for grabbing a pillow and throwing it as a way to unleash a little bit of her frustration. She hadn't done that since she was pubescent thirteen year old who felt the world was a terrible, unfair place, but it actually felt pretty good. The pillow collided with the wall with a hard thud but accidentally hit a picture on it's way down. The picture fell to the floor and the glass shattered into a million little pieces. Oops.

"Asshat," Emma said to no one in particular as she got up from the bed with a groan. She crouched down and began to pick up the tiny little pieces of glass. With her luck she would probably slice herself in the hand. Maybe she deserved it a little bit after having ruined the picture of that beautiful lake that had been hanging on her wall since she was a little girl.

She was mumbling and complaining under her breath and doing her utmost to pick up the glass when there was a knock on the door. "Emma? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Just spiffing," Emma answered her father's question and felt a little bad for sounding so sour. She wasn't a sixteen year old.

"Can I come in?" her dad asked hesitantly.

"Sure. Come in," she sighed. She was an adult. And adults did not barricade themselves in their rooms.

The door to her room opened and her dad came in. "What happened here?" he queried and raised an eyebrow upon finding Emma on the floor.

"The picture fell," Emma said a bit pathetically.

"Really?" he made a surprised noise. "It's been hanging there for as long as I can remember. Maybe it's a sign that we need to do something about the walls."

Emma let out a single, short laughter. "It fell because I threw a pillow."

Now her dad looked really surprised. "You threw a pillow?"

"Yep. Sure did."

"Okay," he said slowly as he fully stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Do you want to tell me why you... threw a pillow at the poor wall?"

"I do feel guilty for it now."

He chuckled slightly as he crouched down with her. "Come on. Talk to me, kid. What's going on?"

Emma smiled briefly at the old pet name and then sighed as she revealed: "It's Regina."

"Oh," her dad's hand briefly stilled with a piece of glass. "What is it? Did she do something to upset you?"

"No! God, no," Emma said quickly and shook her head to emphasize. "I'm just worried about her."

"Okay?" her father prompted in that gentle manner he so often did.

Emma picked up another piece of glass before continuing: "the guy who, uhh... got her pregnant suddenly showed up at her work, and obviously, she's pretty freaked out and doesn't want to meet him again."

"Understandable," her dad said simply, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Makes you wonder what the hell is going on in their minds, doesn't it?"

"In whose minds?"

"Men who deliberately lies and cheats," her father emphasized and shook his head as though he was a disappointed in every last man on earth.

The gesture made Emma laugh. "Yeah, it does."

"I understand that Regina wants to take care of things herself, but if she needs a little extra money for a plane ticket to Boston, your mother and I are more than willing to pay for it."

Emma smiled at him. "Thanks, dad. But I've asked her, and she doesn't want any financial help."

"I admire her," her dad said. "When I was twenty years old, I still drove home to my mother to have her do my laundry."

Emma chuckled. "And I bet she did it without complaining."

"She did actually."

Emma laughed and shook her head. "You were such a mommy's boy."

"I was," her dad confirmed without looking the least bit ashamed.

"I wish I could have gotten the chance to know her," Emma said softly. She'd heard so many things about her grandmother Ruth. Both her mom and dad had spoken so warmly about her, and today wasn't the first time Emma had wished she could have known her. Ruth had passed away unexpectedly when Emma's mom was pregnant, and it had been a huge blow to everyone.

"You look like her," her dad said and patted her free hand affectionately.

"Yeah, so I've been told," Emma chuckled lightly.

Her dad patted her hand again. "Regina will be okay."

And that right there was the reason why Emma sometimes preferred to confide in her dad. He didn't ask a million questions. Instead he had his own, gentle way of soothing her. The way he said 'Regina will be okay' was so sure. So certain. It actually made Emma believe that Regina really would be okay.

Emma flashed her father a grateful smile.

"But the next time you feel frustrated, maybe don't take it out on innocent pictures," her dad continued and raised an eyebrow in mock tittering.

Emma laughed heartedly. "Got it."

He chuckled as he patted her hand one last time and then got up from the floor to throw the glass away.

Once he had left, Emma allowed a teeny, tiny sigh to slip past her lips. She hoped that he was right in his predictions. That Regina really was okay. She shook her head firmly and bit her lip. Of course Regina was okay. Who knew, maybe Robin had seen her and decided to take off. Like the big fat motherfucking coward he was! Anger swirled in Emma's body again. So much for feeling soothed. She wanted to hit something all over again. Just... fuck Robin! Fuck him, and his ability to keep popping into Regina's life and mess it up! Fuck him for lying and tricking her into bed. And fuck him for making Regina upset when she finally felt like she was regaining some control!

"You stupid motherfucker," Emma said to the silent room. "If I find out that you have said or done something, I'm gonna bash your fucking face in!"

"Emma?" her dad called from the hallway. "Who are you talking to?"

Emma flushed slightly. "Nobody." She got up from the floor and walked into the kitchen to dispose of the glass she was still holding. She was thankful she hadn't curled her hand into a fist. That would have hurt.

In the meantime, her dad had settled down on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Something he would never do had his wife been home. "Do you want to watch the game with me?" he asked and flashed Emma a hopeful smile.

Emma considered it for a moment. She was actually supposed to work right now, but she had recently gotten home from a longer trip, and her dad had barely seen her. And it definitely had been ages since she last watched a game of ice hockey with her dad.

"Sure," she said warmly and headed into the living room. She sat down next to her dad on the couch and did like he. Put her feet on the coffee table.

Her dad glanced and smiled. "We probably shouldn't-"

"Tell mom," Emma finished the sentence with a chuckle. "Of course not. It'll be our secret. So, who's winning?"

Her dad grinned as he began to fill her in on what she had missed of the match...

The rest of Emma's afternoon was trivial to say the least. She worked and scheduled tomorrow's photo job, but her heart wasn't in it at all. Her mind was fixated on Regina and what was happening in Toledo. She strongly believed that Robin and his kid had left, and Regina simply couldn't call her while she was at work. She strongly doubted that Robin aka douchebag was gonna hang out at the restaurant for several hours. That wouldn't be a normal thing to do.

Emma did her best to make the endless hours go quicker, and she had been tempted to text Regina several times, but she didn't. She couldn't bother Regina while she was at work, and Emma didn't want a quick little conversation. She wanted a long and detailed Skype conversation. In which she ensured that Regina really was okay.

Emma blinked and acknowledged that she was getting distracted again. She was supposed to reply to an email from a Mr. Howard who wanted to hire her to take pictures for his wedding day. That was a huge job and it would pay good money. Emma couldn't it to wait just because she was distracted. She quickly pulled herself together and wrote a nice email starting with '_dear Mr. Howard_' and ending with telling him that yes, of course she was available this and that date. All he had to do was giving her the address and a couple of other details, and then they would be good to go. Emma chuckled a little. For that price she could almost buy two plane tickets to Madrid. She shifted and glanced at the clock. It couldn't be long before Regina was done for the day at the restaurant. Thank god she wasn't closing the restaurant tonight. The faster she could get home, the happier Emma would be.

Emma closed the laptop. She would have to continue her work later. Or tomorrow. She couldn't concentrate right now. It would just have to wait. And it could. Of course it could.

She headed into the kitchen and fruitlessly opened the fridge and peeked inside. She felt peckish. Like she always did when she was nervous. Or maybe it was just her period coming. She had a particular need for pizza. All that cheese and grease... Mmm. Emma licked her lips. She shut the fridge and glanced into the living room where her father was still sitting. He had replaced the television with a book. He liked catching up on his reading when he was off duty. "Hey, dad?"

"Mhmm?" he looked up from his book and flashed her a smile.

"Mom's coming home late, so I thought we could have an early dinner and order a pizza?"

"Mhmm," he repeated, but now he sounded far more interested. "Yes, that sounds good. I'll have pepperoni."

"Yeah, I know," Emma snickered. Her dear old dad loved pepperoni pizza. But he didn't have get the chance to eat it very often. Emma's mother was merciless when it came to eating healthy. Pizza was something that happened very, very rarely.

"I'll order two then," Emma decided. She was hungry enough to eat a whole pizza. Yep, her period was definitely coming.

"Great. When?"

Emma chuckled and couldn't resist to tease her father a little: "hungry?"

He put a hand on his belly and patted it in a telltale manner.

"Alright, alright, I'll order them now," Emma laughed. "But-"

"We won't tell your mother."

"Exactly," Emma nodded and blinked conspiratorially at her dad. "Our secret." Then she went and grabbed her phone to call the pizzeria. Mario, who answered the phone knew her by name and treated her like an old friend when she ordered two pizzas. Emma had eaten a lot of pizza when she lived with Neal. She had basically lived of it, really. She'd often been occupied with work all day and suddenly time had passed, and she hadn't had the time to make dinner. And Neal was not much of a cook. He hadn't had any problem with living off pizza. And Emma didn't have a problem with living of pizza tonight either. Her stomach was rumbling and tying in knots. Yep, definitely her period. She groaned quietly as she put the phone down. She should have known. She HAD been particularly tempted to rip off Robin's head earlier. Well, she still was, and she probably would still be when not on her period, but she probably wouldn't throw pillows at innocent pictures.

"The pizza's are on the way," she said as she turned around. "Should be here in approximately twenty minutes. Ish."

"That sounds great," her dad smiled. "I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, me too," Emma nodded and then she went back to her room to change into her oldest and most comfortable sweatpants. They were made of a soft, almost fluffy material and were a washed out grey color. At some point the waistband had been stretchy, but now there wasn't much stretch left anymore. The sweatpants simply hung limply on her hips, and Emma would never ever step outside while wearing them. But today she was fucking grateful for their existence! She almost groaned a little in sheer relief as she replaced her tight jeans with this pathetic excuse for a pair of pants. God, they were so comfortable! She put her hands on her hips and tried to stretch her back. She was getting a particularly nasty ache in her lower back. One that could only be fixed with a heading pad. Or a warm bath. Maybe she would take one later. Then she pulled her tanktop over her head and unclipped her bra. Might as well just put on her favorite black hoodie while she was at it. Emma rubbed a hand over her cheek. Was she getting a pimple? She grimaced. Yep, sure felt like it. Damnit. She was too fucking old to get pimples. Another grimace. She would be turning twenty nine in next month. Talk about being old. Fucking twenty nine. No, she refused to believed it. She couldn't possibly be turning twenty nine...

Emma almost felt out of breath when she stuffed the last bite of pizza inside her mouth. Seriously, that was so damn good! That cheese and grease was exactly what she needed.

David hummed in satisfaction as he wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin. He seemed equally as satisfied. Even though he definitely wasn't on his period.

Emma leaned back and sighed a bit. Pizza was definitely good. But it never failed to make her feel guilty afterwards. The roof of her mouth was burning, and she took a large gulp of her water. Pizza was both a good idea and a terrible idea. She rubbed her stomach and cringed slightly. It felt like her pizza part had made the skin on her stomach go all tight. Or maybe she was just bloated. That was very possible too.

Her father almost looked a bit sorrowful as he stuffed the last bite of pizza inside his mouth and then got up. "Better hide the evidence," he said with a chuckle as he grabbed the now empty plates.

Emma chuckled. "Hate to break it to you, dad, but the entire house stinks of pepperoni. Mom will be able to smell it the moment she steps inside the house."

David nodded to acknowledge that and then observed: "well, in that case we're in trouble."

Emma chuckled again. "Yep, I guess we are. I'll drink to that." She jokingly lifted her glass of water and took a large sip. Then she leaned back in her chair again and considered whether she should take a couple of painkillers to soothe the worst of her cramps. But before she could even make an attempt to stand up, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Emma thrusted a hand inside her pocket and grabbed the phone. She quickly found out that it was Regina who had sent her a message. A single question. '_**Skype?**_'

Emma was quick to reply: '_gimme five minutes, beautiful girl!_' then she got up from her chair and excused herself: "Regina's ready to skype, so I think I better make sure that she's okay."

"You do that," her father said jovially. "Tell her I said hi."

"Will do." Emma smiled and gave him a pat on the back as she passed him on her way to the stairs. She snickered as he began to whistle loudly. Always in such a good mood after pizza.

Emma went upstairs to her room and grabbed her laptop. She carried it over to the bed with her and leaned back against the headboard with the laptop balancing on her thighs. She tapped in her password, opened Skype and checked to see if Regina was online. She was, so instead of waiting, Emma simply hit "call". She was far too impatient to wait until Regina called her. The familiar Skype-dialing-tone echoed in her bedroom, and Emma shifted on the bed. She was just a smidge uncomfortable because of the dull throbbing sensation in her abdomen and cramps in her lower back. She definitely should have taken those painkillers.

The call was answered, and Regina's pretty face appeared on the screen.

"Hi!" Emma said, just a tad surprised over having been pulled out of her musings.

"_Hola_," Regina smiled. "You look good, _querida_."

"Ha," Emma chuckled. "You are sweet." She knew she looked far from "good" in her old hoodie and with her hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head.

"You do," Regina said firmly and as though that wasn't something Emma could argue with.

So she didn't. "Thank you. You look good too." Regina was wearing the "stolen" tanktop. And not much else, judging by what Emma could see.

"Thank you," Regina said, and now the tiredness was seeping through her voice.

"So?" Emma gently prompted. "Are you alright?"

"No, I wouldn't say that," Regina said almost lightly. "But I survived, didn't I?"

Emma couldn't beat around the bush anymore. "What happened? Did he say something to you?"

"Yes, he said that he'd like two burgers, a glass of water and a glass of orange juice," Regina tiredly quipped.

"Regina."

"_Lo siento, querida_. It's just been quite the day." Regina cleared her throat. "But no, he didn't say anything to me. He just went as white as a sheet when I came down to take his order."

"No leering looks? No comments?"

"No, nothing. He doesn't know that I'm pregnant."

"Oh, good! That's good!"

"But he did give me some looks of good old fashioned horror and obvious regret of his life choices," Regina said bitterly and rubbed her chin. "Like he's the one who has the most to regret! He's not the one who's knocked up-" she shook her head, amended: "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

"It's okay," Emma assured. "But overall, it could have gone worse, right? I mean, it's not like he was-"

"It was bad enough," Regina interrupted. "They had dessert too, and Robin allowed his son to be the one to order it."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning that the little boy came up to the counter and ordered ice cream from me," Regina said dully. "And he was quite the curious little one. Kept asking me typical questions, what was my name, what kind of ice cream did I like, how old was I. He didn't stop until his father came up to the counter and asked him to stop asking "the waitress" so many questions. The way he said "the waitress" was just so... he might as well have said 'whore'..."

"Don't say that!" Emma hissed.

Regina puffed out air. "I felt absolutely terrible, Emma. Because that little boy was adorable. And just knowing that I'm the reason why his parents are-"

"Hey," Emma interrupted. "Robin was at that bar for a reason, right? He and Marian probably had problems way before he crossed paths with you."

"I wish that was true," Regina sighed. "And speaking of Marian..."

Emma had to physically swallow back her anxiety. "Yeah?"

"Well, she came to pick them up from the restaurant, and she saw me. Through the window. It's gonna start again. She'll start pestering me all over again!"

"You don't know that for sure," Emma said gently and tried to soothe.

"Yes, I do. The look on her face..." Regina shook her head and her chin wobbled as she did her best to put on a brave face. "Please tell me your day was better than mine."

"Uhh... I had pizza for dinner? Does that qualify as a good thing?"

Regina's smile was a bit more genuine now. "It does." She shifted a bit and briefly grimaced.

"Sore boobs?" Emma guessed and hoped it would make Regina laugh.

It did. Regina snickered as she confirmed: "_Sí_. I had forgotten to put on my maternity bra this morning, and now I'm paying the price."

Emma chuckled. "Well, I can join that club tonight. Not the maternity bra club, but the sore boobs club."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Emma sighed mock dramatically. "Why do you think I had pizza for dinner?"

"Ohhh," Regina pushed out her bottom lip as she sympathized with Emma: "_mi pobre querida_. Stomach ache?"

"Yeah," Emma said and tried not to sound too pathetic. "And back ache."

"_Oh_ _amada mía _," Regina gushed. "If only I was there. I could have given you a back massage..."

"That would have been amazing," Emma half-groaned. "So much better than a heating pad!"

"Mmm," Regina said, sounding distracted all the sudden, and as Emma moved a bit closer to the screen, she could hear scrolling sounds in the other end.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously. "Are you on your phone?"

Regina sheepishly looked up again. "Yeah, sorry, I'm googling plane tickets. I've decided to leave Madrid immediately after the doctor's appointment. I miss you and I wanna see you. And if Marian really is gonna be around again..." she licked her lips. "Well, it seems like a good idea to get out of Spain as soon as possible. If I could, I would come tomorrow, but it seems like a good idea to wait until after the ultrasound. And the meeting with that couple."

Emma nodded. "I can't wait to see you again. Do you think there's any chance I can coax you into getting a second ultrasound?"

"A second ultrasound?" Regina echoed and frowned softly.

"Mmm, here in Storybrooke, just so..." Emma shyly licked her lips. "So I could be there for it too."

"Oh," Regina smiled. "Of course. Can't harm."

"Awesome. I'll ask Doc then. He's very nice. Been my doctor since I was born."

Regina snickered. "I'm sure he's sweet. He must be if he's your doctor."

"Speaking of sweet..." Emma said upon remembering something.

"_Sí_?"

"What does 'amada mía' means?" Emma asked curiously.

"Oh." Regina blushed unexpectedly. "It means... Well, it's basically just another way of saying 'querida', you know?"

"Right," Emma said. But she had the strongest hunch that Regina was lying...

**To Be Continued...**


	17. Chapter 17

In the week after Robin's unpleasant appearance at the restaurant, Emma could feel that Regina was on her guard. She hadn't seen Robin at the restaurant after that day, but she had seen a red car holding parked near the restaurant, and she was willing to bet her flamenco dress that it was Marian who was watching her. Emma had growled and cursed loudly, but there wasn't exactly anything either women could do about it. It wasn't illegal to hold parked near a restaurant. Marian hadn't done anything besides making Regina uncomfortable. Obviously, that was more than enough, but it still wasn't illegal. Unfortunately. Emma was seething with anger every time Regina told her that she had seen that red car again. It reached a point where Regina gave wavering answers instead of saying yes or no when Emma asked because she didn't want to make Emma upset.

But Emma WAS upset! Damn right she was! She felt so tempted to fly to Spain and smack some sense into Marian. When she told Regina that, the younger woman laughed and called Emma "_Mi caballero de brillante armadura_," something that could be translated to: 'my knight in shining armor'. Emma wasn't so sure she was that, but she was definitely prepared to go to Spain and give Marian a piece of her mind if things escalated.

But as the week progressed, some good things also happened: Regina's father found a replacement for Paula and hired a new waitress. Which meant that Regina could stop working at the restaurant. She was very relieved about that. Not that she didn't like working at the restaurant, she actually quite enjoyed it, but she was getting bigger. She was eleven weeks along, and it was getting more and more difficult to hide "the bump". Both she and Emma was relieved when Regina's last day working in Toledo rolled around, and she could drive back home to Madrid. Her father had been grateful and given her "a massive hug" as Regina put it, and she afterwards told Emma that she had been terrified that he would feel "something" while hugging her. He hadn't though, and Regina had been able to drive home. But unfortunately, she hadn't been able to relax much. The day after, she had a meeting with Alessandra and Sofía, the women who were gonna adopt the baby. A bit of a formal meeting where they had discussed everything. Another thing Emma was missing out on, but she found comfort in knowing that it wouldn't be long before she and Regina would be together again.

Alessandra and Sofía were very nice women. Regina had said so. Alessandra was thirty two and working as a lawyer, and Sofía was twenty nine and a preschool teacher. The couple had come of as extremely sympathetic and genuine right away, and according to Regina, the two women had everything. Except for a baby. Which was something they had been yearning for in years. They had been through several failed IVF treatments and with each failure, both women had felt more and more distraught. The IVF treatments had been rough, and, in the end, they had decided on adopting instead. They had been on the waiting list for two years until Regina picked them.

Regina was happy about her decision, which meant that so was Emma. Alessandra and Sofía sounded like wonderful people. "Parents-material" as Regina had put it. And Emma had to bite her tongue not to say that age and so-called steady jobs didn't necessarily mean parents-material. But either way, Regina was happy. And that was the only thing Emma was interested in seeing, so obviously, she shared Regina's happiness. And it was obvious that Regina was relieved over having a plan for the future. Finding parents to the baby had been the most important thing right from the start, and now that she had found those parents, she could kick back and relax a little bit. Emma applauded that decision and hoped that Regina actually would relax and not just tell her that she would. Regina was terrible when it came to relaxing. She liked being on her feet. She liked being busy and hated the fact that she was so "fucking tired all the time". She had joked that she was just waiting for the second trimester. According to all the information she could find on the subject, your energy was supposed to get a boost during the second trimester. And your libido. She had groaned and complained when telling Emma that her sex drive was basically non existent right now, and she had said that she feared that her visit would be "a very boring one". Emma had huffed and made Regina aware that sex definitely not was the most important thing here and the visit definitely would not be a boring one. Regina had looked properly chastened. And a bit misty eyed. Which she immediately blamed on the hormones. And Emma blamed herself for having made Regina cry.

Right now, both of them were basically just waiting for week twelve to roll around. Regina had one more ultrasound. Just to make sure that everything was okay, and she was good to get into an airplane. She had also been feeling a bit dizzy, so Doctor Rivera had promised to test her blood pressure. Just to make sure that everything was okay. Emma hadn't told Regina, but she was a little bit worried. Of course she was. She couldn't help it. It was probably silly. Feeling dizzy when you were pregnant was completely normal. She had read that on several websites. But she couldn't help to feel worried. Worrying about Regina was turning into a bit of a sport for her, and she was counting the days until she could finally wrap her arms around Regina again. Of course there would be the business of actually letting her go again at some point, but that was something Emma was willing to forget about for now. She preferred focusing on the fact that Regina would be coming to Storybrooke soon. She would come to meet her parents and her friends. And everyone was excited. Not just Emma.

At last the day for Regina's doctor's appointment came, and Emma woke up with a belly full of butterflies. Well, obviously, not really, but it certainly felt like it. Regina's appointment was at one o'clock. Which meant that it would be sometimes after Emma had had breakfast. Emma wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to pas the time until Regina was done at the doctor's, and she comforted herself with the knowledge that Regina would call her as soon as she was done at the doctor's. At least that was what she somewhat airily had promised Emma.

But Emma was still anxious. She barely ate anything during breakfast, and obviously, her mother noticed that.

"You're not eating anything, honey," she pointed out.

"I know," Emma sighed. "Regina's having her second ultrasound today. I just hope that everything is okay."

"I'm sure it will be," her mother soothed. "And you have to eat something."

Emma dutifully took a bite of her toast, but it didn't really taste of anything. And she couldn't concentrate. She was way more focused at glancing at the clock and listening to the tick-tick-tick-tick. Her biggest concern was that there was something wrong with Regina's blood pressure. Something serious. And something that could mean Regina wouldn't be allowed to travel. Oh fuck, that would be awful! But if that really was the case, Emma would simply come to Madrid to look after Regina. No question about it. Regina would need taking care of. And of course Emma would be the person to take care of Regina. She took another sip of her coffee, which was basically the only thing that kept her going this morning. She had slept terribly last night because of the anxiety. She was relieved that she didn't have any photo jobs today. She had the whole day free to worry. And wait for Regina. She chuckled dryly to herself. God, she was a right mess when it came to that woman! But in some fashion, it was actually kind of nice to be so hyped up over someone. She hadn't been this hyped up over Neal. Not even when they were engaged. She supposed she had been more in love with the idea of getting married than she had been in love with him. In some weird way, one could say that he had done her a favor when he had shown his true colors and cheated on her. If he hadn't, Emma never would have gone to Madrid on her own. And she never would have met Regina. Fate. Such a funny size sometimes. Emma chuckled again and choked slightly on a mouthful of coffee.

"Are you alright?" her father asked and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I'm fine," Emma croaked. "Wrong tube."

"Oh." Now he was the one to chuckle, and Emma took a smaller sip of her coffee. This time, she didn't choke. But she nearly managed to spill it onto the table instead of inside her mouth. Because she was busy looking at the clock again and silently counting the minutes until she would hear from Regina.

A little while later found Emma sitting cross legged on her bed. She had showered, dressed and done her hair and makeup for no purpose except for doing something else than looking at the clock. Now she was pretending to do some work on her computer. But actually she was just staring blankly at the screen and listening to the quiet tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock. God, this was unbearable! Hellish. Maybe she should have said yes to Ruby's offer about coming to Granny's and hang out until she heard something from Regina. Emma considered it for a moment. She hadn't exactly done much work since sitting down in front of her laptop, and what was the purpose of moping around here? Wasn't it better to do something sensible with her time?

Yes, it was. She pushed herself up and winced slightly at the way her legs had fallen asleep. She used a moment to "wake them up" and then she put on her shoes and grabbed her jacket and left the house. She needed air.

And she got it. It was quite the crispy morning here in Storybrooke. It rarely ever got really warm here. Emma looked around as she walked down the street. Her quiet little hometown where nothing much ever happened. The quintessential suburban. Growing up here had been wonderful. The perfect place for a kid. Emma could still remember the "culture shock" she had gotten when she had left to go to college in Boston at seventeen years old. It had been quite the change, but it had actually been pretty wonderful too. Emma quelled a little sigh. She currently had a secret. And not just a tiny one, but actually a pretty huge one. One that would shock her parents and friends. There was a reason why she had been so hesitant to find a new place here in Storybrooke. Because maybe she didn't want a new place in Storybrooke. Maybe she wanted a new place somewhere else. Maybe she was ready for something new. A new city, a new start. She couldn't quite pinpoint when she had started to feel that way. The feeling had just sort of snuck up on her. She was longing for a change. New horizons. A little apartment somewhere. If she rented something cheap, she could afford to rent a studio too. But how was she supposed to tell that to her friends and family? She could totally imagine the look on her mother's face if she announced that she was considering to leave Storybrooke. She would be devastated. And so would her friends.

Emma sighed a bit. This was a difficult dilemma. One that she didn't have any answers to yet. She hadn't even told Regina about her musings yet. But she didn't doubt that Regina would understand it when she did. Of course she would. Regina always understood Emma's thoughts. No matter how crazy they were. Emma chuckled a bit to herself as she headed towards one of those cute gazebos where one could sit unbothered. It was curtsy of her mom, the mayor, that those gazebos had been "planted" here and there in Storybrooke, and right now, Emma had never been more grateful for it. It wasn't exactly warm and cozy, but it was okay for a little while. She settled down and considered her "next move". She was still jittery. The walk hadn't helped enormously. Maybe she should head to the gym and burn off some calories. She snickered to herself again. Or maybe she could swing by Granny's Diner for a quick cup of cocoa. Just to get warmed up. She rubbed her hands slightly. Man, it was cold! She hoped that Regina had packed lots of warm clothes.

Emma nearly jumped when her phone went off in her pocket. She quickly fished it out and frowned when she saw that it was a facetime call from Regina. Huh. This didn't make sense. Regina was at the doctor's right now. Not exactly the ideal place to facetime. Unless something was wrong. Oh god, something was wrong! That was why Regina called her. Something was horribly wrong with either the baby or her blood pressure and she wasn't allowed to travel because of it! Oh fuck, Emma never should have left- okay, breathe. Emma scolded herself and tried to stay calm while fishing her headphones out and connecting them with the phone. Maybe she was in a gazebo, but she was still out in the open, and if Regina had bad news, Emma didn't want anyone else to listen in. She popped the earbuds inside her ears and then swiped to accept the facetime call.

Regina's beautiful face appeared on the phone screen, and the first thing Emma picked up on, was the fact that Regina definitely did not look worried. And the second thing was that Regina definitely was in Doctor Ramirez' consultation room. Emma could recognize the wallpaper and the hospital cot Regina was sitting on. What was going on? Why was Regina facetiming her from Doctor Ramirez' consultation room? This didn't make a wink of sense.

"Hey," Emma said slightly surprised.

Maybe the surprise made her sound uninterested, because Regina jutted out her bottom lip and only sounded like she was partially joking when she said: "not happy to see me?"

"I'm always happy to see you!" Emma said immediately. "I was just surprised."

"Oh," Regina chuckled and squinted slightly. "Where are you right now? It looks very pretty."

"I'm sitting in a pergola," Emma told her with a smile.

"Oh. It looks very nice. You must take me there."

"I will," Emma assured and definitely couldn't wait any longer when she said: "and I can see that you're at the doctor's. What's... What's going on?"

"Nothing," Regina said with a smile.

"Then why the facetime call? Is something wrong with you? Or with Blueberry?"

"Not to my knowledge," Regina said softly. "I've already been through the initial examination, and everything looks fine, but I know you've been worried, _querida_. And upset that you can't be here for the ultrasound. So I asked Doctor Ramirez if I could facetime you while she performs the ultrasound. And she said yes."

"Oh my god," Emma's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?!"

"_Sí_," Regina smiled. "I know it's not quite the same as being here in person, but it's better than nothing, right?"

"It's AWESOME!" Emma loudly exclaimed. "Oh my god, I can't believe you actually arranged this!"

"I didn't," Regina chuckled slightly. "I just asked my doctor a question. And she just so happened to say yes. Now you can be here for the ultrasound and while I get my blood pressure checked out."

"This is so awesome," Emma said simply. She was smiling so widely her cheeks actually hurt a bit.

"I know," Regina snickered. "Oops. Looks like we're ready to get cracking." Meaning that Emma heard the door open and heard Doctor Rivera's voice as she greeted: "_hola Regina._"

"_Hola_," Regina said and smiled.

"_Hola, Emma_," the doctor continued. "I'm happy to have you here with us today."

"Hi, Doctor Rivera," Emma half-chuckled. Seriously, this was so awesome. She could be present for Regina's ultrasound scan even though she was actually far away. Doctor Rivera was one very cool doctor! And Regina was very inventive indeed.

"Are you ready for the ultrasound?" Doctor Rivera asked.

"I am," Regina confirmed.

"Excellent. Should we wait for the parents?" the doctor asked professionally.

"No, it's just me and Emma today. Alessandra and Sofía couldn't be here," Regina replied. "They were very upset that they couldn't make it today, but they'll be here the next time."

"Very well. Then we'll just get started," Doctor Rivera said, and Emma heard her potter around with something off screen.

"_Sí_," Regina replied and turned her attention to Emma. "Are you excited, _querida_?"

"I am," Emma said with a slight smile. "Are you?"

"I am actually," Regina nodded. "It's gonna be interesting to see how much it has grown since the last time."

"It will indeed," Emma said. "I'm so happy you thought of this, honey."

"I am good at getting brilliant ideas," Regina chuckled and sounded very satisfied with herself. She shifted a bit on the hospital cot she was lying on. "This is exceptionally comfortable."

"I'll buy one for you," Emma joked.

Regina laughed. "No, you won't."

"Won't I?" Emma teased.

Regina's response to that was lost when Doctor Rivera announced: "we're ready to go, Regina. If you just lift your shirt just a little."

"Alright," Regina said and flashed Emma a quick smile. "Putting you down for two seconds, _querida_."

"Okay," Emma chuckled. There was some rustling, and the blackness filled her screen. But she could hear Regina and the doctor talk in Spanish, and it didn't take long before Regina's face came into view again. "There we go. Sorry about that."

"No problem. Have you been gelled up already?" Emma joked.

"No, Doctor Rivera is putting on the gel right no-ooow," the word came out like a little shriek and Regina scrunched up her nose. "_Dios mio,_ that's cold!"

Emma couldn't help but laugh a little at the look on Regina's face.

"Alright, here we go," Doctor Rivera said off screen, and in response Regina said something in Spanish. Doctor Rivera answered with a '_si_' in response.

"I'm gonna flip the screen now so you can see what's going on," Regina announced.

"Oh, cool!" it bursted out of Emma, and she heard Regina chuckle. The screen was flipped, and Emma could suddenly see Regina's belly. She had to hold back a little gasp, because even though Regina was lying down right now, there definitely was a bump. An actual bump. A visible evidence of the baby. Emma had to swallow something.

"Okay, that's enough of my belly," Regina said dryly. The image wobbled a bit as she raised the phone so Emma could see the screen. "Can you even see anything?" she asked doubtfully.

"Uhm, yeah, absolutely!" Emma said. The difference between the first ultrasound and this one was amazing. Blueberry wasn't just a glob on the screen anymore.

"There we have the head," Doctor Rivera told them as she lifted a finger and pointed to the screen.

"Can you see it, _querida_?" Regina asked softly.

"I... I sure can," Emma said and wondered why the heck her voice suddenly broke.

"And here we see the curve of baby's spine," Doctor Rivera continued as she drew a line on the screen. "And here-" she moved her finger slightly. "We have baby's feet. They're a bit hard to see, but they're there."

Both Regina and Emma chuckled.

"And here," the doctor continued. "We have the baby's nose. I don't know if you can see it..."

"I can see it," Emma confirmed. Yes, she could definitely see that tiny little nose there on the screen.

"And there's only one?" Regina asked. "One baby, I mean."

"There's only one," the doctor confirmed.

"Can we hear the heartbeat?" Emma asked excitedly.

Doctor Rivera chuckled. "Certainly. Let's just see if we can find it..."

The screen was tilted slightly, and Emma could see as Doctor Rivera moved the ultrasound wand around on Regina's stomach, and then after a moment...

_Thump-thump-thump-thump_

Emma smiled. She couldn't help it. Hearing that sound made her feel all sorts of things.

"Great," Regina said, and her voice sounded a bit business-like. Distant, almost. Emma wished she would turn the screen so she could see her face. But that was probably intentional on Regina's part. Maybe she wasn't looking at the screen. Maybe she was staring at nothing in particular like the last time. Emma's chest tightened, and she wished she could have been there to hold Regina's hand. She reminded herself that it wouldn't be long until she could do just that.

"Baby has a very good and strong heartbeat," Doctor Rivera said, interrupting Emma's train of thoughts.

Regina shifted the phone slightly so Emma could see the screen again. The grainy image of the baby on the screen. Emma couldn't believe how much it had changed since that first ultrasound. It actually looked like a baby now. A real baby. She swallowed something again when she saw the heart blinking on the screen.

"Baby is gaining weight and is doing perfectly well," the doctor said. "The heartbeat is good and strong. About 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces. All the important organs have developed, so now baby's main job is to grow bigger."

"Great," Regina said again. She still sounded business-like. Distant, like this wasn't actually happening to her. Like she was watching it happen a bit from above.

"Shall we check out the blood pressure now?" Doctor Rivera suggested.

"Good idea," Regina said and now she sounded more eager. She clearly had some difficulties with seeing the baby on the screen, and Emma immediately felt pretty bad for having suggested that second ultrasound. Maybe that wouldn't be required now. Emma had been there for the ultrasound now. Well, kind of, anyway.

Regina's stomach was wiped of the gel, and the image of her wobbled a bit as she shifted to sit up on the cot. Emma was there the whole time and could hear as the blood pressure cuff was positioned around her arm and then pumped up.

"Let's see if I'm as healthy as Blueberry," Regina joked.

"If the opposite is the case, I'll be coming to Madrid to help you," Emma said.

"Em-ma-"

"In a heartbeat," she continued as though Regina hadn't spoken at all. "It's not up for discussion at all."

Regina chuckled. "I don't have time to be unhealthy. I'm going to the airport. My suitcase is waiting for me in the car."

Emma chuckled too. She hoped that Regina would be given the all clear to travel.

"Regina, it is my great pleasure to tell you that your blood pressure is completely normal," Doctor Rivera's voice cut through their chatter.

Regina flashed Emma a beaming smile. "Looks like I'll be the one to come to you anyway, _querida_. I'm as healthy as a horse."

"Yes!" Emma said and even went as far as fist pumping the air. She could barely keep her grin at bay through Doctor Rivera's explanation about blood pressure and how normal it was to feel dizzy during first trimester.

"Eating snacks regularly will help," she said. "And something sweet in particular."

"I'll have to stock up on chocolate," Emma dopily interjected.

That made Regina chuckle. "Storybrooke, here I come."

"Storybrooke is ready for you," Emma grinned.

"Alright, I think you are pretty much all set," the doctor said. "If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to contact me."

"Thank you," Regina said softly.

"Goodbye now. Take care of yourself," Doctor Rivera continued, and a bit louder: "And goodbye, miss Swan."

"Goodbye, Doctor Rivera," Emma said. "Thank you for agreeing to this."

"But of course," the doctor said graciously. There was a bit of rustling and bustling that told Emma that Doctor Rivera had just left the consultation room.

"So, how are you feeling?" Emma asked softly. Now that they were "alone" she could finally ask Regina that.

"Alright, I guess," Regina said, shrugging as best as she could while holding the phone. "A bit strange."

"You wanna tell me about it?" Emma gently encouraged.

"Blueberry's grown a lot," Regina said simply.

"Yeah. Sure has," Emma agreed.

"I suppose that feels a little strange to know that there's something... growing." Regina wrinkled her nose slightly. "And I kept remembering Robin's son." She sighed. "For a moment I thought about who the baby will...look like. If it will look like his son and have the same curls and eyes and... I don't know," she shook her head. "Maybe I'm just being silly."

"Hey," Emma said gently. "You're not. Of course you're affected by it. Anyone would be."

"At least I didn't cry this time," Regina did her best to joke.

"It would have been completely fine if you did."

"I am extremely lucky," Regina said spontaneously.

"I am," Emma corrected with a smile.

Regina returned the smile and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I better end this here so I can get out of here." She looked yearningly at Emma "But I'll text you before I'm boarding, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"You definitely will. Bye, _querida_. And go inside. Your lips are turning blue," Regina laughed. And then she cut the connection between them.

Emma grinned to herself. Rude. But somehow Regina still managed to make the gesture seem adorable. Obviously. Everything Regina did was adorable. That had already been established many, many times. She lifted a hand to touch her lips. Yeah, they were pretty cold. She doubted they were turning blue, but still. Better head inside. She got up from the little bench and left the pergola, feeling ten thousand percent lighter than when she came here. Regina was completely fine. So was Blueberry. And god, how Blueberry had grown since the last time! Not so much a Blueberry anymore. How big was it now? Emma frowned for a second as she tried to remember what she had read. The size of a... A... A plum. Yep. A plum. That was what she had read. The baby was the size of a plum. But somehow "plum" didn't sound quite as good as "Blueberry".

Emma shook her head slightly. It had been pretty incredible to see the baby on the screen. It had made it more real for her in some way. Of course, she knew that Regina was pregnant, but seeing something that didn't look like a glob just made it all the more... True. And that little curve on Regina's stomach. Which actually hadn't been as little. She definitely looked pregnant now. Like, actually pregnant. Wow.

Emma went home with her head full of thoughts. Now she was yearning to see Regina more than ever.

**To Be Continued...**


	18. Chapter 18

"Right, I'm off to pick up Regina," Emma announced as she shrugged on her red leather jacket.

Her mom smiled broadly. "Drive safely, honey. And hurry home! We're so eager to meet her!"

Emma hesitated on the threshold for a moment. "Yeah, I know, but mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

Emma tried to be as delicate as possible as she said: "I know how excited you are to meet her, but do you think you could... Y'know, go a little easy on her when she gets here? She's very nervous. And probably hella tired too."

Her mom huffed a bit. "Of course I'm gonna go easy on her!"

"You know what I mean," Emma said softly. "I know you wanna ger to know her, but please don't bombard her with questions."

"Oh," her mom blushed a little now, and Emma's father flashed Emma a grin. He knew that his wife could be a little prone to ask lots and lots of questions.

"And maybe..." Emma kept hovering on the threshold. "Maybe not ask her about her mom, okay? Her mom is a bit of a... touchy subject, shall we say. Stick for asking about her dad. He adores Regina. And vice-versa."

"We got it," her dad assured and grinned again. "We don't need a manual, honey."

"Sorry," Emma said sheepishly. "I'm just... I really want her to feel welcome here."

"We promise we'll be as charming as ever," her dad quipped.

"Polite," her mom added.

"Curious, but in a sort of demure way," her dad said solemnly.

"Picture perfect in laws."

Emma shook her head at both her mom and dad. "You guys are such dorks, you know that?"

"Of course," her dad snickered. "We created you."

"Okay, I'm going!" Emma said firmly and spun around. But she didn't make it very far into the hallway before peeking back into the kitchen. "And one more thing, guys. Whatever you do, don't stare at her stomach, please."

Her parents nodded. None of them were teasing anymore. They could sense that Emma was serious on this one.

Emma flashed them a quick smile and a "see you later." Then she finally left the house and walked towards the little yellow bug just waiting for her. She felt a flutter of excitement in her belly. Now she was finally gonna go pick up Regina. Regina was finally coming to Storybrooke! Emma had a hard time really believing it, and she was grinning from ear to ear as she entered the bug.

She whistled a silly but nevertheless merry little tune to herself as she embarked on the four hour long drive to Boston Airport. Yeah, it was a long drive, but she didn't mind that even the littlest bit. Because she was on the way to pick up Regina! She interrupted the whistling session and chuckled a bit upon remembering that cute, cute airport selfie Regina had sent her before boarding. She had pretended to have fallen asleep on a bench in the airport, and Emma had laughed loudly when she saw the picture. And she hadn't hesitated to call Regina "a very pretty Sleeping Beauty". That had amused Regina.

But in all seriousness, Emma hoped that Regina would be able to get some sleep on the plane. She had looked pretty tired during their facetime chat, and Emma was a bit worried. Obviously. Worrying about Regina was turning into quite the sport for her. Emma snorted slightly to herself. At least she wouldn't have to worry about Regina for the next two weeks. Because Regina would be right here with her. Exactly how Emma preferred it. She switched on the radio and loudly sang along to Pharrell William's "Happy". What an excellent song! What excellent lyrics. '_Because I'm happy clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth_'. Emma couldn't have thought of a better song to describe how she felt right now. Giddy with excitement. Ecstatic, almost. And just a smidge nervous too. She had told Regina a lot about Storybrooke, had almost tried to paint a picture of the town, and she hoped that Regina wouldn't feel underwhelmed when finally visiting the town herself. She came from a huge city with lots of lights and noise, and Storybrooke was so quiet in comparison. Emma hoped she wouldn't be disappointed in what she saw. Emma reached a turnabout and steered in the direction towards Boston and the airport. Long journey, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Regina could maybe take a nap on the way back. Emma hoped she would. The trip from Madrid to Boston was a long one, Emma knew that from experience. The jetlag was tough, and if you were pregnant on top of that... Well, Emma could easily believe that Regina would be absolutely knackered when arriving.

Emma kept finding the happiest songs the radio had to offer, and she happily and loudly sang along to them without paying the littlest attention to how horrible false it sounded. Okay, maybe she could hear it a little, but what the heck. She was a photographer, not a singer. Speaking of photography, she hoped that Regina's visit in Storybrooke would come with lots of opportunities for photography. Emma needed plenty of pictures of Regina for the photo album she was in the process of creating.

A car swerved out in front of Emma, and Emma cursed loudly at the driver. Why couldn't people pay a little attention when they were driving? Surely, that wasn't so difficult, right?

But only a moment later it was Emma's turn to be honked at because she had been busy thinking about Regina instead of actually driving when the light turned green. Ooops.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Emma called sheepishly even though there was no way the driver behind her had no chance of hearing her. She was just grateful that her dad The Policeman hadn't been here to witness her blunder. He was a terrible "backseat driver" and constantly reprimanded Emma and gave her "advices" on driving. Which was pretty annoying because Emma wasn't THAT bad of a driver. Neal had been worse. Seriously, he had constantly swerved out in front of other cars and cut corners. It had reached a point where Emma had almost become terrified at driving with him. And so had her dad. He had once revealed to Emma that he hoped to meet Neal in traffic while on duty so he could serve him a ticket for being such a rotten driver. Emma chuckled a little to herself. At least her dear old dad was quite safe in that regard when it came to Regina. She was an excellent driver who didn't take any risks on the road. Sure, she could yell a bit in Spanish, but she was a good driver.

Emma was absentmindedly humming to herself when she noted the soft pitter-patter of rain on the window. She immediately felt disappointed in the weather. It was Regina's first time visiting here, and it was fucking raining! Emma had hoped for a clear blue sky and sunshine, but instead she could see nothing but gray clouds and drops of rain. Typical Maine weather. She hoped Regina wouldn't find it too cold and terrible. That would be awful.

Another car behind Emma honked and then overtook her, and Emma immediately took the opportunity to yell: "are you kidding me?! What is wrong with people?! Did you get your driver's license in an automat or what? _Mierda_!" She snickered. Hanging out with Regina was clearly rubbing off on her. Perhaps she would end up becoming a first class Spanish speaker someday. Or maybe not, but hey, she was allowed to be a little optimistic, right?

She turned up the volume on another ditzy song and felt strangely like some sort of silly Disney princess when she caught herself singing along. That was definitely less tuneful than what she could have hoped for. _Don't quit your daytime job, Swan_.

She switched over to humming instead. One couldn't go wrong with humming. At least not her. The radio crackled a bit, and Emma gave it a little love tap and reminded herself to have it checked out. She couldn't risk being without a radio in the car. That would be terrible. Emma loved music while driving. She loved opening her window and pretending that she a lone stranger on a roadtrip. Maybe it was a bit silly, but it was definitely very fun too. Emma considered it. Roadtrip. It could be really fun taking a roadtrip with Regina sometimes. Emma would have to remember to ask her about that when she saw her. It wouldn't be long now...

Soon she found herself standing in Boston Airport, impatiently waiting and stretching her neck in an attempt to try and spot Regina when she came through security. She probably looked like an idiot as she stood there and stretched her neck like a giraffe, but she couldn't help it. She could see on the board that Regina's plane had landed as expected. It shouldn't be long before she would walk through those big doors. Emma physically had to stop herself from jumping up and down like some lunatic. She was literally so excited her palms were sweating, and her heart was thrumming in her chest. She was about to see Regina again, finally. God, it had been so many weeks since they had seen each other! Too long! Emma refused to allow it to be that long the next time. Maybe she would just have to move to Madrid. Emma chuckled to herself. Move to Spain. Ha. She could vividly imagine the look on her mom's face if she told her that.

Emma's phone chimed, and she couldn't help but smile when checking the message. It was Ruby, asking if she had "found" Regina yet. Emma texted back that she was in the airport and waiting for Regina to show up. Ruby then teasingly asked if Emma was impatient. Emma texted back "hell yes!" and didn't even feel embarrassed about it. Because she was. Pretty fucking impatient.

She craned her neck again and accidentally made eye contact with a guy coming through the doors. Ooops. Time to be less obvious.

Emma liked the airport. It was so cozy with all the people standing there and waiting for their loved ones to come through the doors. Some of them were waving flags, and the children were jumping up and down in anticipation. Emma chuckled lightly to herself. A pity you couldn't jump up and down if you were an adult. A pity that wasn't a social acceptable thing to do. Her phone chimed again. This time it was Belle who texted her and asked if she had found Regina. Emma texted back that she was still waiting for her. And being impatient about it. Belle found that to be pretty funny. But Emma didn't. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and felt the muscles in her neck protest slightly. She could see that people were really starting to walk through the large doors now. She saw a mom smiling at two little boys who had a hard time staying behind the security line. She saw a young man with sun-kissed skin and a backpack slung over his shoulder. Looks like he had been out on an adventure, Emma thought to herself as she watched him smile at an older man and women. Home to reunite with his parents it would seem. Emma smiled. That was nice. But where was Regina? That was the question. Emma couldn't see her amongst the people streaming through the doors, and for a second she got worried, but then she reminded herself that Regina obviously would have texted her if the flight had been delayed. Emma just had to be patient a little longer. She would show up. Of course she would. She shifted again and felt tempted to burst through the security line to go find Regina.

But fortunately enough, such drastic methods wasn't required after all. Once a flood of important looking men in suits had walked through the doors, Regina appeared. She was wearing a long sleeved flower patterned wrap dress with an unzipped jacket over it. Her hair had been tugged away from her face in a braid, and she looked lovelier than ever. And she was smiling. At Emma. Who suddenly found herself grinning and jumping up and down like an idiot. She probably looked like one, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Regina. She lifted a hand and waved eagerly, almost knocking a lady's hat right off her head. Regina looked highly amused and lifted her free hand so she could return the greeting.

Emma was quite literally skipping up and down as Regina made her way through the crowd with her suitcase trailing behind her. After something that felt like forever, she was finally within Emma's reach, and the young brunette smiled beamingly once again. "_Hola que_\- Oh!"

That was about all she managed before she was interrupted by Emma who pretty much grabbed her and pulled her into her arms. Emma wasn't even thinking about it when she winded her arms underneath Regina's bottom and lifted her, so her feet were dangling a few inches above the floor. Her suitcase landed on the floor with a slight bang. Emma didn't care about that either. Her brain seemed to have completely shut off as she spun Regina around.

Regina giggled and made half-hearted protests: "Em-ma! Put me down!"

"Never," Emma assured. A few seconds later she did put her down though. But she didn't let her go. Instead she placed her hands on Regina's shoulder. "Let me have a look at you, honey."

Regina smiled almost shyly and tugged a lock of hair behind her ear. She glanced down at her now significantly more rounded stomach. "As you can see, I've...ripened. Since the last time you saw me. I, uhh-"

Emma didn't let her finish that sentence either. She covered Regina's mouth with her own and kissed her. Kissed away any insecurity Regina might have felt over her changed body.

Regina made this little exhaling sound into the kiss, and her arms winded around Emma's neck. Emma could feel the corners of her mouth twitch as though Regina was smiling into the kiss. The thought of that made Emma hold even more tighter onto Regina.

They didn't stop kissing until a sullen old man coughed loudly and made some sort of stupid remark about this being "a public place!" but even his narrow way of thinking could make Emma's mood turn sour. She playfully brushed her nose against Regina's before pulling away.

"Hi," Regina said softly.

Emma snickered. "Hey, you."

"_¿Me extrañaste?_" Regina teased.

"Uhm, hell yeah I missed you," Emma almost growled and lifted her hands to pull Regina closer.

But Regina playfully evaded her grabbing hands. "Wait, wait, wait," she teased and put her hands on her hips. "What do you think?"

"Of you? I think you look absolutely-"

"No-no-no," Regina chuckled. "The bump, _querida_. What do you think about the bump?" she was teasing, but Emma could still hear some insecurity behind the question.

Emma took a step back to take in the image of Regina as she stood there in her flower patterned wrap dress. Her belly was definitely more prominent and rounded now. And the sight of it filled Emma was an infinite amount of tenderness. "You look so cute," she told Regina. Even though that was an understatement. Regina looked more than cute. She looked amazingly beautiful.

"Yeah?" Regina said.

"Yeah," Emma assured and snatched her suitcase before she could protest. "Are you ready to go?"

"_Sí_, I am," Regina confirmed and brushed a hand over her dress. "Is this dress appropriate for meeting your parents? I was actually wearing a band t-shirt, but then I remembered-"

"Regina," Emma interrupted with a soft chuckle. "You look perfect, okay? But just for the record, my parents wouldn't care if you wore a band t-shirt."

"Okay," Regina said sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm nervous."

"That's okay," Emma said softly and took Regina's hand so she could give it a little squeeze. "But my parents will adore you. I know they will."

Regina smiled meekly and grabbed for her suitcase.

"Nope," Emma said simply and moved the suitcase away from Regina's grasp. "You're not carrying it."

"I'm not?"

"No, I am. Obviously," Emma said lightly. "Come on, beautiful girl. Let's get going."

"In a moment," Regina said. "I have to go and buy flowers for your mother first." And before Emma could stop her, she had disappeared into one of the stores in the airport that just so happened to sell flowers. Emma chuckled as she followed.

"I have to go to a pharmacy tomorrow," Regina said when they were sitting in the car (Regina had been fawning over Emma's yellow bug).

"Alright," Emma said and tried to sound relaxed and definitely-not-worried. "Everything okay?"

"_Sí_," Regina was quick to assure. "I just forgot my prenatal vitamins at home," she rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. There's always something. I left them standing on the kitchen table instead of stuffing them into my suitcase."

"Oh," Emma chuckled. "We'll just go to the pharmacy tomorrow. That's no problem at all."

"I can't believe I forgot them," Regina said and clicked her tongue. "I must be suffering from an early case of pregnancy brain or something like that."

Emma laughed. "Is that even a thing?"

"I don't know. It is now," Regina said and leaned back in her seat.

"You tired? You can take a nap," Emma immediately suggested.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "And miss out on the time I have with you? No thank you. I can sleep later."

"Seriously, you must be tired from that long trip," Emma said, jutting out her bottom lip just a little.

"I'll be fine," Regina chuckled and reached out so she could take Emma's hand. "I've really missed you, _querida_."

"I've missed you too," Emma said immediately. "So. Fucking. Much."

Regina chuckled once more. "That much, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Emma assured, chuckling too. She moved a hand away from the wheel and put it on Regina's knee for a moment. "How are you feeling? Nausea very bad?"

"No, it's alright," Regina said. "I'm just a bit nervous about finally meeting your parents and friends."

"I wish there was something I could say to make you less nervous," Emma sighed.

"There isn't," Regina teased. "I shall remain nervous until I've met them and realized it didn't kill me."

Emma chuckled lightly and then asked: "is it warm enough in here? Are you cold?"

"No," Regina said with a slight drawl. "I'm fine, Em-ma."

"Good. But you didn't have to buy flowers, you know," Emma pointed out and glanced at the bouquet in Regina's hands. Yellow tulips. Emma's mother's favorites.

"Of course I did," Regina said in a "don't be stupid"-manner. "It's the least I can do."

Emma chuckled. "You are so sweet."

"Yes, so I've been told," Regina drawled.

"Oh yeah? By who?" Emma asked and lifted an eyebrow.

"My dad," Regina said and positively laughed.

"Oh. Phew. You almost made me nervous there," Emma teased.

"Don't you worry," Regina said as she leaned back in the passenger's seat. "Did I mention how much I adore your car?"

"Yeah, I think you might have," Emma chuckled.

"_!__Es maravilloso!_

High praise right there. Emma smiled. Neal hadn't liked her car. He had preferred to drive around in the big Roll's Royce his father had bestowed upon him for his eighteenth birthday. He had considered Emma's car to be some sort of abomination that shouldn't be allowed on the road, and on those rare occasions where he'd had no choice but to ride in it, he had complained from start to finish over just about anything. The brakes, the seats and the smell. Which was absolute bull because Emma's car did NOT smell. Only after Neal had been in it. Because of the cologne he always drowned himself in.

Emma's train of thoughts were interrupted when Regina started to rummage around in the little purse, she also had with her. She muttered a bit under her breath as she brought out a can of...

"Cream soda?" Emma asked and smiled a little.

"Mhmm," Regina confirmed as she cranked the can open and took a gulp. "It might have lost its fizz on the plane ride, but it's definitely not bad." She took another deep gulp.

"Is that...a craving?" Emma asked softly.

Regina scrunched up her nose in that adorable fashion she so often did. "I think it might be."

"Oh. Well, it's a good thing Granny's are all stocked up on cream soda then," Emma smiled.

Regina sighed a little. "Yesterday I suddenly wanted strawberry cake. Strawberry. I never eat strawberry!"

"Well, you can have that too," Emma laughed. "You can have whatever you want."

"Oh, by the way, Sofía and Alessandra will call me tomorrow," Regina told her. "Just to confirm that I arrived safe and soundly."

"That's very responsible of them," Emma praised.

"And obviously, my dad sends his love," Regina continued, now smiling. "Lots of it."

"Aww," Emma cooed. "How cute is he?"

Regina snickered. "He really liked you, _querida_."

"The feeling was mutual," Emma said and smiled as they reached another turnabout.

Regina yawned and closed her eyes. Only for a moment, she assured, but it didn't take long before she fell asleep, and Emma? Well, she fell even more in love...

It broke Emma's heart a little, having to wake up Regina when they made it to their destination, but she couldn't very well sleep in the car. Emma gently put a hand on Regina's arm. "Honey?"

Regina made some sort of "hrmph" sound in her sleep.

Emma tried not to laugh. "Sweetheart, we're here."

"_Que_?" Regina opened her eyes and clearly did her best to focus in the darkness.

"Hi, sleeping beauty," Emma said with a soft chuckle. "We're here."

"And I slept all the way," Regina said and stuck out her bottom lip. "My goodness."

"It's alright," Emma assured. "You needed some rest. And it's late in Spain."

Regina nodded and looked like she was trying to suffocate a yawn.

"We'll go to bed as soon as possible," Emma promised her. "You need your rest."

"_Sí_, I do. Otherwise I'll have no energy to explore Storybrooke tomorrow," Regina half-chuckled.

"Exactly," Emma said and gave Regina's knee a little squeeze. "My dad has gone to bed, he's not much of a night owl, but my mom will definitely be up. She never goes to bed early. And she likes to wait up for me-" Emma took a moment to roll her eyes at that before continuing: "Are you alright with meeting her tonight?"

"_Por supuesto_," Regina assured and glanced at herself in the mirror.

"You look wonderful," Emma said immediately.

"Really? Did my mascara run?" Regina used a finger to swipe underneath her eye. "Is my hair a mess?"

"Honey," Emma said gently but firmly. "You look beautiful."

"You're biased," Regina accused, but she was smiling at the same time. She reached out and took a gulp of her cream soda, but immediately made a face and stated: "Warm."

"I'll buy you another," Emma said swiftly. "I'll buy you as many as you like."

"Careful. I might take you up on it," Regina chuckled, glanced at herself one last time in the mirror and then declared: "I'm ready."

"Good. Then lets go and put my dear mother out of her misery," Emma chuckled. "I don't wanna make you nervous, but you have been the reason for some speculation."

"I'm sure I have," Regina said, and her sweet laughter filled the car.

Emma spontaneously leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," Regina said warmly. "But now we have to get out of here. I don't want to risk your mother seeing us kissing in the car."

Emma laughed heartedly at that. "Then lets get going. I'll carry your suitcase. You just have to carry your purse and the flowers. Which you didn't need to buy."

Regina scoffed. "Of course I did. Don't be silly."

Arguing was useless, so Emma didn't even bother. She simply got out of the car and wrestled Regina's suitcase out of the trunk of the car. By the time she had walked around the Bug, Regina too had gotten out of the car and was standing and looking at the house which were nicely lit by the little lanterns Emma's mother so favored to place all over the porch and garden.

"Do you like it?" Emma asked almost shyly.

"It's such a...big place," Regina said. She sounded timid. "Which shouldn't be such a surprise considering that your mother is the mayor and all, but..."

"She's not mayor-esque," Emma quickly assured and gave Regina's arm a little squeeze with her free hand. "She's completely chill and down to earth."

Regina nodded but didn't seem soothed. "What if she won't like me?" she whispered.

"Okay, that's the worst bull I've ever heard!" Emma scoffed and dumped the suitcase on the ground so she could cup Regina's cheeks. "You listen to me. My mother is going to adore you. She'll take one look at you and immediately sense what a wonderful, sweet person you are, and she'll love you. Just like that. Because that's the kind of person she is. Same goes for my dad."

Regina nodded and gave a smile. Which only appeared to be a little bit forced.

"You wanna head inside with me?" Emma asked softly and grabbed Regina's suitcase again.

"_Sí_. I can't very well keep standing out here, can I?" Regina lightly quipped.

"That's true," Emma chuckled lightly and slipped her free arm around Regina's waist.

Together they walked up the little pathway that lead to the house, and Emma noted that Regina was biting her lip slightly when they made it to the front door. Emma turned around and checked: "okay?"

"_Sí_," Regina nodded and tried to sound convincing. "Okay."

"She's going to adore you," Emma almost "warned" as she opened the door and stepped aside so Regina could go into the hall. She followed suit a few seconds later and quietly closed the door behind them. Her dad was asleep upstairs, and it would be a shame to wake him. But the lights were on in the kitchen, and Emma could hear the faint sound of her mom tapping away on the laptop as she so often did during the night. She liked being on top on tomorrow's appointments, as she called it.

"Here, let me take your coat," Emma gallantly offered and noted that the tapping had stopped. Her mom had heard them. And she was probably fighting her every instinct not to rush into the hallway to greet them.

Regina slipped off her coat and handed it to Emma who hung it on the coat rack. When she looked back, Regina was in the middle of smoothening invisible creases on her pretty wrap dress and frowning while she tugged at it in an attempt to make her rounded stomach look smaller.

"Hey," Emma said gently and took Regina's hand, brought it up to her lips and kissed it lightly. "You look amazing."

"Amazingly pregnant," Regina muttered.

"No one cares about that," Emma said firmly. "You look amazing."

Regina flashed a little smile and wiggled her feet slightly to get her shoes off. The gesture left her several inches shorter than Emma, and Emma couldn't help but chuckle slightly. She really liked the difference in height.

Emma slipped off her own jacket and shoes and then they walked into the kitchen hand in hand.

Emma's mother looked up and smiled when she spotted them.

"Hi, mom," Emma grinned. "We're here."

"I can see that," her mother quipped as she stood from the chair with a slight grunt. She came over to them, and Regina immediately flashed her a positively dazzling smile.

"Mom, this is Regina," Emma said and could immediately hear the pride in her voice.

"Hello, Regina," her mom smiled and extended her hand out towards Regina.

"_Hol_\- Hello, Mrs. Swan, it's so nice to finally meet you," Regina said as she shook Mary Margaret's hand once, and Emma immediately noted that Regina sounded a bit different. A bit more... grown-up. Emma realized that she had heard Regina use that voice once before. When talking to her own mother. Emma hoped that Regina soon would realize that it wouldn't be necessary for her to use that voice here.

"It's very nice to meet you too," Mary Margaret beamed. "Emma's told me so much about you."

Regina chuckled once, nervously. "Good things, I hope."

"Nothing but that, dear," Emma's mother assured. "And please, there's no need for you to call me "Mrs. Swan" Mary Margaret will be just fine."

"Mary Margaret," Regina parroted and smiled. "I... I got you some flowers. Emma said that yellow tulips is your favorite."

"Oh, that was so sweet of you!" Mary Margaret gushed as she accepted the bouquet of flowers from Regina. "They're lovely, but really, you shouldn't have, Regina!"

"I wanted to," Regina said shyly. "As a thank you for letting me stay in your home."

Emma's mother smiled beamingly at Regina, and Emma grinned too because she knew that Regina had successfully just won Mary Margaret's heart.

Mary Margaret was quick to conjure a vase for the yellow tulips, and while she put them in water, she couldn't stop gushing about how lovely they were and how sweet it was of Regina to bring her flowers. Regina happily insisted that it was nothing and was more than willing to answer questions about how her flight from Madrid had been, and Emma thought to herself that this was going exactly like she had predicted. Her mother already adored Regina.

With the formalities done with, Mary Margaret instantly begun fawning: "what a pretty dress you're wearing! And your hair is so lovely, I don't think I've ever seen such a nice French braid before."

Regina blushed. "Thank you."

Mary Margaret glanced at Emma and teased: "You should let Regina give you some hair tips once in a while, honey."

Emma laughed. "Noted."

Regina looked around in the kitchen, clearly in some sort of silent awe. Emma gave her hand a little squeeze. "I'll give you a full tour of the house tomorrow."

And a tour of Storybrooke," Mary Margaret interjected and smiled. "There are so many nice places here."

"I'll look forward to seeing those," Regina said.

"You must be tired after that long journey," Mary Margaret said, fawning once more.

"It's not that bad," Regina lied and smiled again.

Emma slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. "It's okay to be tired. As my mom said, you've had a long trip. Don't worry, you'll get plenty of time to see all of Storybrooke tomorrow."

"That sounds nice," Regina said and glanced at Emma. "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the bathroom? I think I had too much cream soda."

Emma chuckled. "Of course. Upstairs and to your left."

"Thank you," Regina said and flashed Mary Margaret another dazzling smile. "It was very nice to meet you"

"You too, Regina," Mary Margaret said, returning the young brunette's smile tenfold.

Emma watched as Regina walked up the stairs and disappeared around the corner. As soon as she was out of earshot, her mom exclaimed: "Emma, she's lovely! So sweet and polite."

"And nervous," Emma half-chuckled. "Thanks for not asking her a million questions."

"Like I would do that," her mom huffed. "I could tell that she was nervous."

"Are you gonna go to bed now that you know we're home safe and sound?" Emma warmly teased her mom.

She huffed and pretended to swat Emma. "I was thinking that your father and I will be going out for dinner tomorrow night so you and Regina can-"

"Mom, if you finish that sentence our relationship will never be the same," Emma warned and made a face.

"Get the chance to catch up," her mom said unbothered. "You'll have the house to yourselves. Cook her a nice meal and light some candles."

"Mom, are you giving me dating advices?" Emma asked, torn between laughing and feeling horrified.

"No, of course not. I just figured it would be nice," her mom huffed.

"It would be," Emma agreed.

"Hold on to her," her mom continued. "She's wonderful."

"That she is." now Emma was beaming.

Her mom patted her cheek. "I'm very happy for you. And I think I'll be going to bed now."

"Sensible," Emma praised. "I think I'll call it a night too."

"Goodnight, honey."

"Goodnight mom. Don't bring your laptop into the bedroom. You'll wake dad."

"Nothing can wake your dad when he's asleep," her mom said almost darkly. "Not even an explosion..."

"You are probably right about that," Emma nodded and swallowed back a grin. Her dear old dad was definitely a heavy sleeper. There had been a time where an alarm had been blaring right next to him, and he had kept sleeping. While the rest of the house had woken up in a frenzy because it sounded like the fire alarm going off.

Emma wished her mom a goodnight one more time and then she grabbed Regina's suitcase and went up the stairs. She brought the suitcase into the bedroom and then chuckled slightly to herself upon looking at the makeshift bed her mom so lovingly had installed in the bedroom. The makeshift bed was placed at least ten inches from Emma's bed, and Emma had to swallow back a grin as she began the process of shoving the makeshift bed closer to her own.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked sleepily upon entering the bedroom. She was carrying a little plastic bag and she smelled faintly of toothpaste.

"I'm laughing a little at my parents," Emma said quietly and gave a slight grunt as she pushed the bed again. "They seem to think that ye olde teenage rules still applies just because I moved back temporarily."

"Oh," Regina chuckled quietly. "I see."

"Yeah, the bed is a little too far away for my taste," Emma said and gave the makeshift bed an almighty shove that made it clatter as it collided with her own. "Woops. There we go. Welcome to my room."

"Thank you," Regina said warmly. "It's very nice. And that bed looks very comfortable."

"It better be. Because I'm planning on sleeping there," Emma snickered.

Regina momentarily paused in the middle of unzipping her suitcase. "Huh?"

"Honey, I'm not planning on letting you sleep in the makeshift bed while you're here. Nu-uh. You'll sleep in my bed."

"I can sleep in the makeshift bed," Regina said quickly. "It's not a problem at all."

"It's a problem for me," Emma said plainly. "You're my guest. And I want your stay here to be as comfortable as the one I had in Spain was."

"_Eres dulce_," Regina said softly.

"Thanks, I'm trying my best," Emma snickered. "I'll have you know that my mom found you pretty damn _dulce_ too."

"She did? I'm afraid it was a little rude of me to take off just like that, but that cream soda..." Regina wrinkled her nose. "My bladder wasn't happy."

"She adores you," Emma assured. "She completely rambled about how sweet and polite you were."

Regina smiled beamingly. "I'm glad to hear that."

"See, you had absolutely nothing to worry about. Like I told you," Emma pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, you're so smart, _querida_," Regina said as she rose from her crouching position on the floor with a pajamas in her hand.

"I had no idea you owned a pajamas," Emma said and thought fondly of those tiny little shorts and tops Regina had paraded around in in Spain.

"I do now. Look, they're stretchy and everything," Regina said somewhat sardonically as she stretched the waistband on the pajama pants for emphasis. "All my clothes are now a days..."

"Well, that's a good thing. We can't have you being uncomfortable," Emma said simply.

Regina made a slight humming sound as she tugged at the string in her wrap dress. Probably not meant to be a "striptease" of any kind, but that didn't stop Emma from sitting down on the edge of the makeshift bed and enjoy the sight of Regina taking off her dress.

"What are you looking at?" Regina challenged with another slight humming sound.

"You. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too but let's let it stay with that. Your parents are here."

"I promise I shan't lay a hand on Milady unless we're alone," Emma said goofily, knowing full well that it was a terrible joke.

Regina laughed, bless her, and shook her head ever so slightly as she took off her dress. Emma tried to remember that this was her parents house and they weren't alone, but man it was hard when Regina stood there in her pretty stockings and bra only. Emma cleared her throat and tried to look anywhere but at Regina's significantly larger chest. But it wasn't just Regina's chest that had changed. Her waistline had also expanded. Emma smiled. Regina looked beautiful. And ridiculously tempting while bending over to remove her stockings. Jesus. Emma noted that she hadn't seen Regina wear a pair of nylon stockings before, but she definitely appreciated it. Exactly as much as she appreciated the sight of Regina's bare, golden colored legs coming into view.

"Are you not gonna get ready for bed?" Regina asked as she slipped the stockings off the rest of the way and then cursed under her breath. "_Mierda_. I ripped them!"

"I'm sure I have some you can borrow if you need to," Emma half-chuckled and made a not-very-good attempt at slipping her t-shirt over her head. Watching Regina was just so fascinating.

"Well, I definitely can't wear these anymore," Regina said dully and shook her head as she reached back and unclasped her bra.

"Oh my god," Emma said plainly.

"Huh?" Regina turned her head. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope, you're just-" Emma cleared her throat. "Taking off your clothes."

Regina chuckled. "That is what people do when they're going to bed, Em-ma."

"Oh, very clever," Emma huffed as she hauled her shirt off and wandered over to the closet to find something appropriate to sleep in. This 'something' ended up being a pair of checkered pajama bottoms.

Regina took one glance at Emma's choice of sleepwear and abandoned the nice blue pajamas in favor of something oh, so familiar. Emma's grey tanktop. The one she had "borrowed" from Emma.

"Aww," Emma fawned. "Is that what you're sleeping in?"

"It's what I'm always sleeping," Regina said plainly, dumped her bra into the open suitcase and slipped the tanktop over her head.

Emma looked at her belly. She couldn't help it. Regina's stomach was so pronounced now. So rounded. Not just a "pouch" now, but definitely an indicator of the baby growing inside her.

Regina succeeded in smoothening the tanktop over her belly and then looked up and caught Emma in staring at her stomach.

Emma quickly looked down. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I wasn't trying to-"

"No, it's alright," Regina said softly. She reached back and loosened the French braid. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders in loose curls and she smiled as she came over to Emma who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. The smile never left her face as she grasped one of Emma's hands and placed it on her rounded belly. "There won't be any kicking yet, but do you think it feels any different?"

"I'm not sure," Emma murmured as she adjusted her palm slightly on Regina's stomach. "But I like it."

"I'm getting fat," Regina chuckled.

"You're getting bigger," Emma agreed. "But that's what supposed to happen. Remember that." As she spoke, she moved her hands from Regina's belly and to her hips to draw the younger woman onto her lap.

"_Ay no, querida_," Regina chuckled. "No funny business while your parents are here. You promised."

"I'm not trying to do funny business with you," Emma denied. "I'm just trying to get you to sit on my lap."

"And since when is that not funny business?" Regina asked and sounded all scolding despite the fact that she was already positioning herself on Emma's lap.

"I'm not gonna do anything," Emma promised. "Well, except for this..." without any further ado, she let herself fall backwards onto the bed, so Regina landed on of her.

"_Nosotras no vamos a tener sexo en este momento_," Regina chuckled.

"What does that mean?"

"It means-" Regina elegantly rolled off Emma and tapped her collarbone with each word: "we're-not-going-to-have-sex-right-now."

Emma chuckled too and leaned in to kiss the tip of Regina's nose. "I know. That isn't what I'm after, beautiful girl."

"No?" Regina teased. "Then, what are you after?"

"Don't move," Emma mock-warned as she quickly stood from the bed. "I'll be right back."

Before Regina could answer, Emma sprinted into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and hair, tied it back in a braid and then completed the rest of her nightly routine. To her delight, Regina hadn't moved an inch nor fallen asleep when she returned to the bedroom.

"That was quick," Regina observed without taking her eyes off her right foot which she for some reason had lifted high in the air.

"I'm glad my speed impresses the lady," Emma quipped and scratched the back of her neck, thoroughly distracted over seeing so much leg on display. "What, uhh...What are you doing?"

"Looking for swollen ankles," Regina quipped. "So far, I haven't found any, though. She lowered her leg again and glanced at Emma. "So? Are you gonna tell me about the thing you're after now?"

"In a second," Emma promised as she finally tugged her jeans off and t-shirt off.

"_Oh Dios mio_," Regina said simply. "Your body is not for the faint hearted, _querida_."

"Is that a good thing?" Emma chuckled over her shoulder as she unsnapped her bra.

"_Sí_. Your abs is giving me heart palpitations. And your arms..." Regina almost groaned.

"I really need my own place," Emma said simply and left the clothes to die on the floor instead of actually putting it back in the closet. She walked over and laid down in the makeshift bed. "Come here," she said softly and patted the very edge of the mattress on her bed.

Regina snickered lightly as she inched closer, so it almost felt like they were lying in the same bed. "Oh, so that's what you were after."

"It was," Emma confirmed with a grin.

A little sigh escaped Regina. "This is nice."

"Very," Emma agreed and cupped Regina's cheek. "You wanna head over to Granny's and have breakfast tomorrow?"

"_Sí_, I'd like that very much," Regina smiled. "You've talked so much about it."

"It's a date then," Emma chuckled.

"It definitely is. Goodnight, _querida_."

"Goodnight. I'm really glad that you're here tomorrow too."

"Me, too," Regina yawned. After a moment she went quiet, and Emma heard her breath even out and become slow and steady. She smiled in the darkness and closed her eyes. It wouldn't be long before she too was asleep...

Emma was surprised to be awakened by Regina the next morning. She cracked one eye open and looked at blurry silhouette that was Regina. "Mmm, am I dreaming, or are you up earlier than me?"

"Jetlag," Regina said simply. "Are you gonna wake up so you can show me around town?"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Emma laughed as she opened her eyes fully and looked at Regina. Not only was she up, but she was also dressed, and her hair was wet.

"Did you shower?" Emma asked dumbly.

"I did," Regina chuckled and took another bite of a cracker.

"Where did you get that cracker?" Emma asked even more dumbly as she sat up in bed and scratched her scalp.

"Your mom thought I looked hungry and was sweet enough to give me a couple," Regina smiled. "They're very good."

"Wait... Were you in the kitchen?" Emma asked. God, she was being dumb on this particular morning!

"I was," Regina confirmed. "And I met your father."

"You did? Without me?!"

"Well, you weren't exactly awake," Regina teased. "But don't worry, _querida_. He was very nice."

"Oh." Emma forced her unwilling body out of bed. "Right, I'll just go and take a shower."

"Good idea. I'm not planning on going anywhere," Regina said amusedly as she plopped down on the bed and smoothened a hand over the long sleeved red dress she was wearing today. So simple, yet so Regina.

"You look very pretty," Emma told her as she reached within the closet to find some clothes.

"This old thing?" Regina snickered. "Now hurry up!"

"Yes, Milady..."

Twenty minutes later, Emma and Regina were walking down the street towards Granny's Diner. Emma pointed out all the little stores to Regina, and Regina seemed to genuinely like what she saw. She called the town "wonderful" and "charming" and stated that she never wanted to go home.

Emma didn't want her to go home either. She gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "There's the pharmacy. You wanna go in there while we remember it?"

"Might be a good idea," Regina nodded.

So they went to the pharmacy and Regina got herself a new bottle of prenatal vitamins. Once that was taken care of, they continued towards Granny's Diner.

"And there's the Diner," Emma said quite unnecessarily and smiled. She had just spotted Ruby in there. Who could easily represent a giraffe in the way she was stretching her neck to get a good look at Regina.

"You wanna have some breakfast?" Emma asked, and Regina's eyes positively shone as she nodded and stated how hungry she was.

They went inside Granny's Diner which was still sort of abandoned due to the early hour. The only two people there were Ruby and Belle. Ruby had an early shift, and Belle had always enjoyed coming over for an early cup of coffee and read for a while. Both of them looked up when Emma and Regina came in.

"Good morning, Em," Ruby greeted. "Bright and early. I don't think I've ever seen you come in this early, to be honest."

"That's my fault," Regina piped up. "Jetlag."

Emma snickered as she gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "Guys, this is Regina. Regina, these are my friends, Ruby and Belle."

"_Hola_," Regina smiled shyly. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet you too," Belle smiled as she came over to them. She shook Regina's hand once.

"You exist," Ruby joked as she did the same. "I was beginning to think that Emma had made you up. She kept talking about 'the perfect woman'..."

"Ruby!" Emma barked.

Regina tilted her head at Emma. "'The perfect woman', _querida_?"

"Yeah, I... might have said that once or twice," Emma admitted and felt herself blushing. "Anyway, do you wanna sit down?"

"Yes," Regina snickered. "I'd like that very much."

They settled down by a table and Ruby eagerly asked Regina what she wanted for breakfast whilst insisting that it was on the house.

"Sweet," Emma laughed. "Give us a full brunch then."

"Emma!" Regina protested.

"What? I'm hungry," Emma chuckled.

"One full brunch for the happy couple coming up," Ruby said with a grin. "Anything else? Tea or cocoa?"

"Cocoa," Emma said immediately and looked at Regina. "What about you, sweetheart? What do you want to drink?"

"Cream soda?" Regina asked hopefully.

"Sure," Emma said and gave her a squeeze.

"One cream soda for the lady," Ruby confirmed and excused herself to the kitchen so she could prepare their food.

In the meantime, Belle had abandoned her book in favor of conversation. "So, Regina, Emma tells us you're a dancer?"

"_Sí, _i am," Regina nodded. "At least I am when I'm not, uhh, pregnant. I've danced since I was a little girl."

"Yes, Emma told us that," Belle smiled. "And she showed us the video of you dancing."

"She did, did she?" Regina said and raised an eyebrow at Emma.

"You were good!" Emma defended.

"Not my best performance," Regina stated plainly.

"That is so not true!"

"Ruby and I thought you were brilliant," Belle interrupted their friendly banter. "I've never seen anyone being able to move their feet like that before. It was very impressive."

Regina blushed prettily. "Thank you, Belle." She stretched her neck and glanced at the book Belle was reading. "That is a good one."

"You've read it?" Belle asked delighted.

"I have," Regina nodded. "And I think _Lady Susan _is very underrated."

"It is!" Belle said excited. "That's exactly how I feel!"

Emma grinned. Seems like Regina had won Belle's heart as well. Surprise, surprise.

The breakfast was amazing. And not just because the brunch was awesome, and Regina looked adorable every time she sipped her cream soda (and boy did she look cute!) but because Emma finally had introduced Regina to her friends. Because they were all here together and because Regina wouldn't be going home until in two weeks. Emma relished in seeing Regina interact with Ruby and Belle and completely charming them with her slight Spanish accent and infectious laughter. Everything she did, everything she said made Emma fall a little more in love with her.

Ruby gave the blonde a nudge. "Stop staring at your girl and eat your breakfast, Swan."

"But looking at my girl is so much better," Emma stated.

This made Regina turn her head and giggle slightly. "_Eres linda, querida_. _Muy, muy linda._ But I do think you should eat your breakfast, though. Your bacon is getting cold. And there's a chance I'll eat it if you don't."

"I'll share it with you if you're still hungry," Emma immediately offered.

Ruby mock gasped. "Who are you, and what have you done with Emma Swan?! You never share your bacon with anyone!"

"Shut up," Emma laughed. "Regina's the exception."

Ruby gasped again and winked at Regina. "You've changed her."

"For the better," Belle added with a grin.

"You guys suck," Emma stated plainly.

"But you love us anyway," Ruby said just as plainly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Emma mock grumbled.

Regina giggled again and took another sip of her cream soda. Once again looking entirely too beautiful for words.

Not many things could ruin Emma's wonderful mood on this glorious morning. So very few things could categorize as being disastrous right now. But when she heard the bell chime and saw an all too familiar figure step into the diner, she could feel her good mood go down the drain.

"Damnit," she muttered.

"Is something wrong?" Regina asked and sat her soda down.

"My ex just walked in," the blonde whispered and glanced discreetly at Neal.

"Oh," Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, don't worry," Emma said quickly, slipping an arm around her. "We're having breakfast, right? Just ignore him. He's just here to have coffee."

"Emma," Belle whispered and put a hand on the blonde's arm.

Emma looked up and was less than pleased to find Neal standing in the middle of the diner and staring at Regina. He looked livid, but the way he looked held nothing against how Emma was feeling. She returned the glare and asked loudly: "is there some sort of problem?"

Neal didn't answer. He just kept staring at them.

Emma balled her hands into fists and flashed Regina a reassuring smile before standing from her chair and walking over to Neal. If her ex had some sort of problem, he would have to say it to her face instead of staring at them like an idiot...

**To Be Continued...**


	19. Chapter 19

"What?" Emma asked plainly and glared at Neal as though he was something particularly disgusting.

Neal looked right past her. Looked at Regina. His mouth became a thin line. For a moment it was like standing in front of Milah Cassidy-Gold and not her stupid son.

"_THAT'S _who you're dating?!" Neal asked way too loudly.

Emma set her jaw and squared her jaw. "Not that it's any of your damn business, but yes, it is. Got a problem with that?"

"But she's just a kid," Neal said and looked positively triumphant. "God, Em, I thought you had met someone you were serious about, but now I find out that you're dating some kid..." he laughed. "This is obviously just a rebound thing. Seriously, what is she, Em? Eighteen?"

"I don't see how Regina's age is of any relevance to you," Emma said coldly.

"God, Emma, you're dating a teenager!" Neal continued and shook his head.

"Regina's not a teenager, and she's way more mature than you'll ever be," Emma said flatly. "And if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of having breakfast with my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend," Neal mocked. "Come on, Em! Stop kidding yourself! She's probably just some little gold digger who-"

"You shut up!" Emma interrupted with a growl. "If anyone's a gold digger here, it's you! Don't you think I know that your mom has tried to beg my mom to get me to take you back! Just because I'm the mayor's daughter! How's that for being a gold digger?!"

"I'm not interested in you because you're the mayor's daughter!" Neal bellowed. "I love you!"

Emma positively snorted at that. "Oh, cry me a river, man!"

"How can you be that naïve?!" Neal kept yapping on. "You're dating a teenager!"

"I'm dating a strong, beautiful, confident and wonderful woman," Emma told him. "One that you'll never even be close to ever measuring up to, and I think I've listened to enough of your bullshit, so if you'd excuse me, I'm going to have breakfast with my girlfriend!" with that salute she took a few steps backwards and turned her head. Regina looked very pale as she sat there. She was staring at the table and refused to meet Emma's eyes.

Emma saw Regina shift uncomfortably on her chair, pushing it a little away from the table as though she was trying to distance herself from all of it. Emma ached to leave this stupid conversation behind her so she could go over and hug Regina.

Regina's little shift didn't go unnoticed by Neal either, and it looked like his eyes were about to pop right out of his head when he glanced at Regina's noticeable bump. Maybe he was dumb, but not that dumb. He COULD put two and two together, and it didn't take long before he did. He stared wide eyed at her for a moment before turning his attention back to Emma.

"What the fuck, Em?!" he hissed.

"Neal," Emma warned. "It's none of your damn business!"

But Neal was clearly beyond all that. "You're dating some pregnant chick?!" he bellowed. "What the hell, Emma? What even is this?!" he looked at Regina again and shook his head like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Is this about kids? Is this some weird way at getting back at me because I wasn't ready to have children? Is that what this fucking farce is about, Em?!"

"No, this is about you cheating on me!" Emma yelled. "It's about you backing out on the day before our wedding because you've been fucking our wedding planner! And this is also about me being completely heartbroken and travelling because I needed to be anywhere but around you! And guess what?! I happened to meet the most amazing woman whom I'm madly in love with! THAT'S what this 'fucking farce' is about!"

Neal glared at her. Two red stains where forming on his cheeks, and Emma thought to herself that he looked deeply unattractive when he was angry. Everything about him was unattractive, she thought. Why had she never noticed what an ugly person he was inside and out? How could she possibly have been attracted to this man? It seemed completely impossible right now as she stood before him and watched him glare at her.

"Are you really so fucking desperate to get a baby?" he sneered.

"I told you to shut up," Emma warned. "And get the hell out of here! My relationship with Regina is none of your fucking business!"

But Neal wasn't done. Far from it. He lifted a trembling hand and pointed rudely to Regina's swelling belly. "Who's baby is that even, Em?!"

"I'm warning you.."

"Is she your fucking surrogate or something?! Are you paying her to-"

_**SMACK**_!

Emma had always been the type to act on her emotions. She wasn't one for leaving things bottled up. She had always been prone to use her voice loudly when something wasn't right. But she had never been a violent person. Not until now. There were no fitting words to describe what she felt for her former fiancé. The only way to get her message across was to do what she had just done. Lift her hand and let it connect with Neal's left cheek in a stinging, thudding slap. A slap that left her hand buzzing and aching to do it again.

Neal had clearly not seen the slap coming. He tumbled backwards and grabbed his cheek. "What the fuck, Em?! What the hell are you-"

"Here's what you're gonna do, buddy," Emma interrupted and cold barely recognize her own voice. She lifted a dead-steady hand and pointed towards the door. "You're gonna walk right out that door and then you're gonna pretend that neither me nor Regina exists. Because if you don't, I'm gonna call the police and report you for harassment. Is that clear?"

"Me?" he laughed, still with his hand pressed to the assaulted cheek. "You're gonna report ME for assault? You're the one who just fucking punched me in the face!"

"And I'll fucking do it again if you as much as look at Regina!"

"And I'll be right behind her," Ruby interjected as she came over to them with her hands on her hips. "You don't get to come into my grandmother's diner and cause a major scene! Instead of acting like a spoiled little boy, I suggest you grow a pair and accept that Emma's moved on!"

"And get your coffee somewhere else," Belle suggested. Her voice was completely calm which made what she said sound even more terrifying.

Neal glared at Emma again. "This isn't over, Em!"

"Oh, I think you'll find that it is," Emma said flatly. "Very, very over. Now get the fuck out of here!"

Neal spun around and stomped over to the door. He ripped it open and slammed it behind him, so the glass rattled and the bell above the door chimed loudly.

Emma realized that she was panting like some sort of angry bull. She felt like an angry bull. Fuck Neal and everything he stood for! God, Emma couldn't believe that there had been a point where she actually had been in love with him. The guy was absolute thrash! The idea that she had actually been wanting to marry him was nauseating!

"You punched him in the face!" Ruby said and sounded half-proud, half-horrified.

"I sure as fuck did," Emma said simply and rubbed her hand a little. "And it felt really good!" she turned around to check up Regina who were her first priority, but Regina wasn't sitting at the table anymore.

"I think she went to the ladies' room," Belle said quietly.

"Fuck!" Emma cursed. "I could fucking murder him! He doesn't get to show up here and say shit about Regina! I won't allow it! If he shows his ugly face again, I'll personally-"

"You should go and check up on Regina," Belle interrupted with that soft sensibility Emma so cherished about her.

Emma nodded and spun around on her heels. She nearly stumbled in her eagerness to get to Regina as she went through the hallway to get to the ladies' room.

The ladies' room at first sight looked deserted. All the stalls were open. Except for one. Emma could hear some shuffling coming from it. And some sniffling. Oh, fuck no!

"Regina?" she gently called as she moved closer to the door. "Regina, can I please come in?"

"I'll be out in a second," Regina croaked. "I just needed some...water."

"I hope you don't expect me to believe that," Emma said softly. "Please open the door?"

"Give me a second," Regina said hoarsely and wetly. "I'm... my hormones are a little out of control right now."

Emma's heart broke a little. "Honey, I'm so sorry," she said gently through the door. "He's an idiot! I'm pretty sure he was drunk, but obviously, that's no excuse! I'm not letting him say anything to you! I swear, if he as much as looks at you, I'll murder him!"

Regina croaked out a laugh.

"Please open the door?" Emma begged. "Please? I can't hug you through the door."

"No, I suppose you can't," Regina mumbled, and Emma saw the doorknob jiggle. A second later the door was opened, and Regina peered out at her. Her cheeks were wet and her eyes slightly red.

"Oh god, no," Emma nearly stumbled again as she straight up lunged at Regina and pulled her into her arms. "Come here! Oh god, I'm so sorry, please don't cry! I swear, I'll kill him for this!"

Regina laughed croakily again. "Please don't incriminate yourself on my part, _querida_."

"He's an asshole!" Emma hissed into Regina's hair. "And I wish there was some way I could make you forget everything he said to you!"

"_Sí_, I wish that too," Regina said quietly.

"I'm an idiot," Emma acknowledged. "I should have thought about that there was a possibility he would show up, I should have-"

"_Querida, _stop," Regina interrupted. "This is not your fault. It just happened, okay?"

"No!" Emma barked as she held her tighter. "It is not okay! It's not even remotely okay!"

Regina appeared to be swallowing something.

Emma rubbed her back in slow, gentle motions. "Did you throw up? Please don't say you got sick because of this!"

"I threw up because I drunk too much cream soda too fast," Regina did her best to joke, but it was a weak attempt.

Emma pressed a kiss to her temple. Then her cheek. If only she could erase that encounter with Neal!

"You... punched him," Regina said.

"I sure as fuck did."

"For... For me?"

"He was spilling shit and I wasn't gonna let him! So now you know that yep, I'm willing to punch someone for you," Emma tried to joke too. And failed.

"No one's ever punched someone for me," Regina mused.

"Yeah, well..." she held Regina close, but could feel how Regina was tensing in her arms. Clearly uncomfortable. Emma so desperately wished she could say or do something that would make Neal fucking Gold go away!

"I didn't know..."

"Huh?" Emma put her hands on Regina's shoulder so she could look in the eyes. "What did you say?"

Regina cleared her throat and kept her gaze firmly fixated on the floor. "I didn't know you wanted children that badly, _querida._"

"Neal was making a scene," Emma said immediately.

"He was," Regina agreed. "B-but this is still something you and he talked about, right?"

"Right," Emma nodded.

"You've mentioned that you and he had problems before he cheated," Regina whispered. "Was it because he didn't want kids?"

"Regina-"

"Was it?"

"We talked about it a few times," Emma said truthfully. "I wanted kids, but he wasn't ready."

"You still want kids," Regina stated. It wasn't a question. Her big brown eyes filled with tears. "_Dios mio, _how can you even be with me when you know that I'm gonna give something away that you have wished for for years?!"

"I'm with you because I love you!" Emma said firmly. "And you're right, yes, maybe I want kids. Someday. When I'm ready. I thought I was gonna have kids with Neal, but it turned out he was a major asshole, so now I'm relieved that I didn't get to have kids with him. He doesn't deserve to be a father, and I don't deserve to be tied to him for all eternity. And the fact that I might want to have kids someday in the future has nothing to do with this." she touched Regina's stomach once. "What you've decided to do is something I admire and support a hundred percent." She kissed Regina's cheek now. "I'd support you no matter what you chose, beautiful girl. No matter what. So don't you dare think otherwise!"

Regina was quiet for a long time. She had even stopped crying, and for a second Emma feared that she had screwed up completely. That Neal's "surprise appearance" had screwed things up. But then Regina said very quietly: "_tu ... tu me amas?_"

"What?" Emma blinked.

"You..." Regina lifted her head a little. "You said that you loved me."

"Oh," Emma swallowed nervously. "Yeah, I... might have said that."

"Did you mean it?" Regina asked. She sounded just as nervous as Emma.

"Definitely," Emma said. "I mean, it's not the way I would have said it, but I definitely mean it!"

"_Yo también te quiero_," Regina said quietly.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Emma asked. Now she was smiling.

"_Sí_," Regina confirmed and returned the smile. "I love you too."

"Oh, wow!" Emma blurted. "This morning is definitely not turning out how I imagined it to do, and even though I have a few complaints, this is nice."

"It is," Regina agreed and finally wrapped her arms around Emma's neck instead of just standing in her arms.

Emma hugged her tighter. "Look, Neal's an idiot, okay? A stupid, drunken idiot who were just looking for ways to attack you. That's how the Gold's do things. They try to find so-called weak points in your armor, and-"

"Well, he definitely found one here," Regina interrupted and put one hand on her belly.

Emma lifted her hand and kissed it lightly. "I'll kick his ass if he ever tries something similar!"

Regina laughed a little. "I'd like to see that."

"I hope it won't be necessary," Emma said and tried to grimace even though she was laughing at the same time.

"I'm sorry I made a scene," Regina said. Now she was the one to grimace.

"You didn't. Neal did," Emma said simply and gently wiped Regina's tear stained cheeks.

"Your friends must think that I'm some hormonal-"

"My friends thinks that Neal is a massive asshole who should crawl back and die in the hellhole he came from," Emma said plainly and kissed Regina's cheek again. "Do you wanna come back to the table and have the rest of your breakfast? Or we can just go back home if you're tired-"

"I'm actually a bit hungry still," Regina said sheepishly. "I think I'd like to have the rest of my breakfast."

"That's my girl," Emma said softly and took Regina's hand. "Come on. Let's go and have that breakfast."

They returned to the restaurant where Ruby immediately declared that Neal was "just about the worst asshole ever". That made Regina snicker slightly. She sheepishly said that she was a bit embarrassed over causing a scene, but both Ruby and Belle brushed that off and said firmly that Neal was the one who had caused a scene. Not Regina.

"I might mention this to my father," Emma said darkly. "He's in the police force. And I know he's just looking for an excuse to keep an eye on Neal."

Regina chuckled slightly. "I really don't want to cause a stir up."

"You're not," Emma assured and watched as Regina dug into her breakfast. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"How about a whiskey?" Regina suggested with a soft snicker. "I could have used one right now."

"You drink whiskey?" Ruby asked amusedly.

"_Sí_," Regina nodded and chuckled. "My father and I like to have a glass of whiskey at night." she sighed a little. "But unfortunately I can't have any whiskey right now."

"How about another cream soda?" Emma offered.

Regina laughed a little again. "That sounds good."

She got her cream soda, and she started to look a little better. The color returned to her cheeks, and Emma gnashed her teeth and silently cursed Neal fucking Cassidy-Gold. Who did he even think that he was?! Coming in here and saying so much crap about Regina? He had some nerve. And to think that he actually believed that Regina was just "some rebound thing". Emma damn nearly wanted to laugh. She had never been more serious about anyone than she was about Regina. She loved her. Really fucking loved her. And she was so grateful that she was single when she travelled to Madrid. Because what would have happened had she been "Mrs. Cassidy" when meeting Regina? Would she still had fallen head over heels in love with Regina? Emma had a feeling she might just have done that despite being married. How could she not?

A soft, warm hand touching hers brought Emma back to reality. She turned her head and smiled at Regina. "Hi."

"Penny for your thoughts, _querida_?" Regina asked lightly.

Emma shrugged. "Nothing major. Nothing that matters."

"That's not true," Regina insisted and raised an eyebrow. "I can see that you were thinking about something."

Emma lied a little bit. "Okay, you're right. I was thinking about something. I was thinking about what to make for dinner."

"Dinner?" Regina echoed.

"Mm, my parents are going out tonight, so it'll just be you and me."

"Oh," Regina said. Now she was flushing a little bit, and she quickly took a sip of her cream soda.

Ruby was quick to pretend that she was fiddling with something behind the counter, but Emma had seen the grin on her face. So had Belle. She rolled her eyes as she looked at Ruby. Emma turned her attention back to Regina and asked: "so? What do you want for dinner?"

"I could make dinner," Regina immediately suggested.

Emma snorted. "Yeah, right. You're here as my guest. No way I'm gonna ask you to make dinner!"

"You didn't. I suggested it," Regina corrected. "And I actually do wanna cook one day. When your parents are home. Do they like lasagna? Or paella!"

"Mmm!" Emma said spontaneously. She knew from experience that Regina's paella was like, really, really good.

Regina snickered and put her hand over Emma's. "Do you think your parents would like if I made paella one night?"

"I think they'd love that," Emma said warmly. Ruby looked at her and mouthed 'oh my god!' and Emma had no problem with understanding why. Suggesting to cook for Emma's parents was such a Regina-thing to do. Completely natural for her. And certainly not something Neal EVER would have even thought of suggesting.

"But first things first," Emma insisted with a slight grin. "What would you like for dinner tonight?"

Regina offered a slight shrug. "I don't know, _querida_. I've barely finished breakfast."

"I'm thinking that we're staying in instead of going out, right?" Emma thought aloud.

"That sounds nice," Regina smiled.

"I could make tacos!" Emma realized. "It's not as sophisticated as paella, but it's damn good!"

"Tacos sounds very good," Regina said appreciatingly as she pushed her now empty plate away. "And thank you for the breakfast, it was absolutely delicious." She looked at Ruby and smiled. "Very, very delicious."

"I'll tell my grandmother that," Ruby said and returned the smile. "She'll be happy to hear it."

Emma gave Regina's hand another little light squeeze. "Do you wanna go home now and get some rest?"

"_Absolutamente no_," Regina half-chuckled. "You promised me to show me around town, Em-ma!"

"Okay, okay," Emma laughed. "That's what we'll do then. A nice little walk around town."

"That sounds very romantic," Ruby teased.

"Emma _is_ very romantic," Regina said with a light shrug.

"Is she?" Belle said and grinned at Emma.

"_Sí_," Regina assured. "She really is."

"Huh. And here I thought that you didn't have a romantic bone in your body, Swan," Ruby teased and gave Emma a nudge.

Emma mock scowled at Regina. "Thanks for selling me out in front of my friend, babe."

"You're welcome, _querida_," Regina laughed and did that sexy smirk thing where she raised her eyebrow.

Emma felt the effect of that smirk in certain places. It was definitely time to get out of this dinner. "Are you ready to leave?" she asked lightly. "Or do you want some more breakfast?"

"More breakfast?" Regina scoffed. "_Querida_, I couldn't possibly eat anything more. I'll end up looking like a whale by the third trimester!"

"You won't," Emma laughed. "You'll look beautiful no matter what."

"Urgh, get out of here, please," Ruby said and wrinkled her nose. "You're starting to get disgusting!"

Emma laughed again. "Fine, fine. Ready to go, Regina?"

"_Sí_," Regina said as she with surprisingly lightness stood from the chair. "I'm ready to go."

"Awesome," Emma grinned. "Let's do it then." she stood from her chair as well and slipped an arm around Regina. Then she looked at her friends and told them: "see you later, guys."

"See ya," Ruby laughed.

"It was very nice to meet both of you," Regina said sweetly.

"Likewise," Belle said and returned the sweet smile.

"It was nice to have you confirmed as being real," Ruby added.

"Ruby!" Emma scolded. "Do you take me for a liar or what?"

"Of course not," Ruby defended with a twinkle in her eyes.

"You're awful, and we're leaving," Emma said with feigned gruffness as she elegantly steered Regina towards the door.

Regina laughed as they left the diner. "It was very nice to meet your friends, _querida_. They're very sweet."

"And they already adore you," Emma said simply. "Did you see the way they charged at Neal?"

"I sure did," Regina nodded. "It was very sweet."

"Mmm," Emma said a bit distracted. Fucking Neal! If only he hadn't shown up and been a massive dickhead. This could have been an absolutely perfect morning if only he hadn't opened his big fat mouth...

"_Querida_?"

"Yep," Emma said quickly. "Right here."

"You weren't a moment ago," Regina said softly. "You were thinking about Neal again weren't you?"

"Maybe a little bit," Emma admitted. "I'm just upset that he ruined-"

"He didn't ruined anything," Regina interrupted. "Not unless we let him, right?"

"Right," Emma conceded with a slight smile.

"This morning was very nice," Regina continued. "I had the most amazing breakfast, and then you told me that you love me. I don't think I could wish for more."

"No?" Emma teased. "What about this then?" she abruptly brought both of them to a halt and leaned in so she could peck Regina's lips.

"_Querida_, we're in the middle of the street," Regina admonished, but she was smiling at the same time.

"Yeah, I know," Emma laughed. "Isn't that terrible?"

"Shut up," Regina said. She stood on her tippy toes as her arms wrapped around Emma's neck. "_Mi amor_," she said softly, and every last thought about teasing immediately vaporized in Emma's mind. Those two little words. They were enough to make her forget who she was and where she was going.

"Say it again?" she asked. "Please?"

Regina chuckled as she pecked the corner of Emma's mouth. "_Mi amor_."

"Why does everything sound better in Spanish?" Emma wondered out loud.

"_No se, mi amor_," Regina teased.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a recording of you saying that before you go back to Spain," Emma said simply.

Regina chuckled again, pecked Emma's cheek. "Come on, _mi amor_, you promised you'd show me around town."

"So I did," Emma acknowledged. "What would you like to see first? We could stop by the town hall where my mom works, or we could head out to the Toll Bridge, it's very nice out there. Or we could head out to the stables, or maybe we could just start with the Main Street-"

"There's stables here?" Regina interrupted with starlight in her eyes.

"There is," Emma confirmed. "You like horses?"

"_Sí_! Very much so!"

Emma laughed. Regina's enthusiasm was adorable. "Alright then. Let's go and visit the stables first. Come on, Milady."

They walked down the street hand in hand, and despite the nasty and unwanted meeting with Neal, Emma was happy. This morning was perfect. Regina was in Storybrooke, she was smiling and chatting on in Spanish, and tonight it would just be the two of them enjoying a meal together. Emma silently thanked her mother for being smart enough to figure out that they'd want some time on their own.

Emma gave Regina's hand a little squeeze and earned herself a soft smile in return. Regina's eyes sparkled as she looked at Emma's hometown. She looked like she fitted right in here. It didn't look like she needed anytime to adjust at all. She looked like she felt right at home here.

"Happy?" Emma asked quite unnecessarily.

"Very," Regina smiled. "Are you?"

"The happiest," Emma said goofily.

Regina flashed her another little smirk. One that made Emma feel even happier. If that was even possible.

**To Be Continued...**


	20. Chapter 20

(_**NSFW**__!_)

Emma smiled when Regina reached over and helped herself to another taco.

Emma had feared that Neal's nasty "surprise appearance" would have screwed up things for them, but despite that, they'd had a wonderful day together. Emma had shown Regina around in Storybrooke. They'd seen the toll bridge, the forest, the little harbor, and of course the stables. Regina had surprised her and turned out to be a proper "horse gal" as Emma had teased. Regina had shrugged and revealed that she once had taken horseback riding lessons. Emma had been very surprised, and mock scowled upon telling Regina that she had "kept things from her".

Regina had snickered and expressed the desire to go riding on one of the horses and been a little remorseful when acknowledging that she couldn't go riding while she was pregnant. Emma had promised her that they'd go riding once Regina was "uhh, not pregnant anymore". She had cursed her clumsy way of expressing it, but Regina had just snickered and fawned over the horses. Repeatedly. Something Emma had found to be absolutely adorable. And she hadn't hesitated to tell Regina that. And furthermore informing her that she was officially jealous of all the horses. Regina had found that to be extremely entertaining.

They had spend ages in the stables and a good couple of hours on exploring Storybrooke. Regina had fawned over that as well. Had claimed that she already loved the town and it's residents. Except for a selected few. Emma had laughed at that, had taken Regina's hand and squeezed it whilst thanking her lucky stars that Regina wasn't upset anymore. She couldn't stand when Regina was upset. And seeing her cry was just the worst thing ever! Regina had been a bit embarrassed about her tears, but Emma assured her that there was absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Neal was the one who should feel embarrassed. When they came back to Emma's parents' place, Emma had briefly told her father about the "incident" in the diner. She had told that Neal had shown up and said some very nasty things to and about Regina. She hadn't told her dad about the "surrogate"-comment Neal had made, but she didn't have to. Her dad had been absolutely livid and promised that he would keep a "very, VERY close eye" on Neal. Emma had felt very reassured and had promised herself that if Neal did something, anything, she would actually report him officially. No way in hell she would let him get away with bothering her. Or Regina.

They'd had lunch at home, and once again Emma had been delighted when seeing how well Regina clicked with her parents. They obviously adored her already. Of course they did. How could they not? How could anyone do anything but adore Regina?

"_Querida_."

"Wha'?" Emma immediately looked up.

"Hi," Regina chuckled.

"Hi," Emma said a bit sheepishly. "Sorry, I was just..."

"Staring at me," Regina finished the sentence and laughed. "Do I something on my face or what?"

"No!" Emma shook her head vehemently. "God, no. I'm just... really glad you're here."

"Oh," Regina's smile became less teasing at that. "Me too. And these tacos..." it was her turn to shake her head. "They're really, really good! _Dios Mio!_"

"That good, huh?"

"Mmm," Regina hummed. "You certainly know how to treat a girl, Em-ma."

"Thanks, I'm trying my best," Emma said with false modesty.

Regina snickered and reached across the table so she could squeeze Emma's hand. "This is nice."

"It is," Emma agreed with a smile.

"But I do hope that it wasn't my presence that chased your parents out of their house," Regina continued, pursing her lips slightly.

"It wasn't," Emma assured. "They always go out for dinner once a week."

"Really?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "Good for them."

"Yeah," Emma snickered. "They've been married for thirty years and they still insist on a weekly date. It's pretty impressive."

Regina leaned back in her chair. "Imagine that."

"Taking you out for dinner in thirty years from now?" Emma half-joked. "Yeah, I can definitely imagine that."

Regina tilted her head. "Can you now?"

"Maybe," Emma said and glanced at her half-empty glass of wine. "Or maybe I've just had a little too much wine."

"I'd say that's the reason, _querida_. Cheers." She lifted her glass of water.

"Here's to you," Emma smiled, lifting her glass and clinking it with Regina's.

"Why are we toasting to me?" Regina inquired and raised an eyebrow again. She looked positively sexy when she did that.

Emma shrugged. "Because you're hot?"

Regina bursted out laughing. "You are in an exceptional good mood tonight."

"Of course I am. I've got my girl, and I've got delicious food."

"Hmm..." Regina leaned slightly forward, and Emma was suddenly reminded of a femme fatale from one of those noir film her mom so favorited.

"So I'm your girl now, huh?" Regina drawled.

"Yes," Emma said simply and flashed Regina a grin.

They continued to laugh and joke around whilst eating, but once she had finished her third taco, Regina leaned back with a look of defeat on her face.

"All done?" Emma asked with a smile.

"I should have been done one taco ago," Regina sighed. "I've eaten far too much."

"Bullshit," Emma scoffed. "I'm glad you enjoyed my humble meal."

"Humble," Regina mocked. "_Querida_, this was far from a humble meal. It was delicious!"

"Good, I'm glad you think so. Still don't think it was as good as your lasagna, but-"

"You are talking nonsense."

Emma ignored that and stood from her chair so she could collect the plates. She encouraged Regina to sit still and relax, but Regina was not having any of it. She too rose from her chair and insisted upon helping Emma with clearing the table.

"I'm not an invalid," she said and tipped up her chin in a mock-haughty manner.

"Of course you're not," Emma said quickly.

"And my ankles aren't that swollen yet. I have to take advantage of that, don't I?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh at that. "Okay, you can help with clearing the table, but you're not doing the dishes with me. I'll do that myself."

"But-"

"And that's final!" Emma had just been joking when using the stern tone, but she was pleasantly surprised at the way Regina's cheeks flushed. She clearly liked it when Emma was a bit stern. Emma chuckled and took the opportunity to slip an arm around Regina's waist and giving her hip a little squeeze.

Regina squirmed a little, warned: "Em-ma..."

"What, we're home alone, aren't we? I'm allowed to be enthusiastic about you."

Regina gave her arm a playful little swat.

They were quick to collect the plates and cutlery, and Regina made oh so sweet attempts at trying to help, but with little success. Emma pointed to the living room and instructed her to go into the living room and relax.

Regina wrinkled her nose but nevertheless stalked into the living room, and Emma snickered and felt very satisfied with having succeeded in getting Regina to take it easy. She began to rinse the plates and cutlery, but through the water she could hear Regina potter around in the living room and expressing her delight over the old record player and vinyl's Emma's parents were the proud owners of.

"Would you mind if I switch on some music?" Regina asked from the living room.

"Of course not. Knock yourself out, _mi bellezza_," Emma snickered. She heard more pottering around from the living room and then the familiar tones of "Dream Lover" by Bobby Darin filled the house. Emma smiled and her hips automatically began to move to the rhythm. Regina was probably dancing in the living room. Emma sped up the process of rinsing the plates and cutlery. She wanted to go into the living room and see Regina dance. No way she was gonna miss out on that.

After another couple of minutes she concluded her dish-washing and headed into the living room where she indeed found Regina dancing to the music. Emma snickered. "You just can't help it, can you? You just have to take every opportunity to dance, huh?"

"Come and dance with me!" Regina said and flashed Emma a big, beaming smile. She outstretched a hand towards Emma.

Emma couldn't possibly resist that offer. She laughed softly as she took Regina's hand and allowed herself to be spun around by the younger woman. Regina snickered as she put her hands on Emma's hips. "I've missed this."

"Dancing?"

"Dancing with YOU," Regina clarified.

"Am I that good at it?" Emma teased.

"Of course you are," Regina assured.

Emma scoffed. "Hardly as good as you, beautiful girl. You've got the rhythm in your bones, and I'm as stiff as a... well, bone."

Regina laughed but still protested: "you are not. You've got plenty of rhythm. Especially here..." she gave Emma's hips a little squeeze.

Emma oooh'ed and grinned. "That feels really nice."

"Yeah? How about this then?" Regina asked silkily as she pressed her body a bit closer to Emma's.

"Mmm, makes me think of 'Dirty Dancing'," Emma chuckled.

"And is that a problem?"

"Nope," Emma assured and moved her hands to Regina's ass. "Not a problem what so ever." She gave Regina's ass a little squeeze.

Now Regina was the one to "oooh". But there was another sound too. One that made Emma raise an eyebrow and tease: "was that a moan?"

"No. _Absolutamente no_."

"For some reason, I don't believe you at all," Emma smirked as she spun Regina around.

"You're hearing things," Regina claimed not very convincingly and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck. "This is nice."

"It is," Emma agreed and thanked her lucky stars that her parents "just so happened" to have their weekly date tonight. Emma was pretty sure her dear parents had decided on that after Regina's arrival, but what the heck. Their not too subtle leave had bought her and Regina some alone time. And that was the best thing ever.

Emma wasn't sure how long they danced. Bobby Darin turned into Billie Holliday which turned into Peggy Lee and "Fever". She tried not to drool when Regina gave a spontaneous "solo performance". Her size might have change a little bit, but the way her feet moved was still absolutely on point. The way her hips swayed and her back arched made Emma feel all sorts of things, and she ended up saying: "god, you are so sexy!"

Regina giggled a little but then pouted: "I miss my dancing body."

"You miss your 'dancing body'?" Emma echoed and squinted slightly. "What are you talking about, you look gorgeous!"

"I'm turning into quite the whale," Regina rebutted and smoothed a hand over her now curvier abdomen.

"You look gorgeous," Emma repeated and smiled as she admired every inch of Regina's body and the way it moved as she danced.

Regina flashed a smile. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely," Emma said warmly. "And even when you do get bigger-"

Regina made a face.

"You'll still look just as beautiful," Emma concluded her sentence. "So, so beautiful."

"You are making me blush," Regina informed her and spun around.

"I've missed seeing you dance. It reminds me of Madrid."

"I should have brought one of the flamenco dresses," Regina quipped.

"Oh man," Emma said simply and didn't even try to hold back a groan.

"You think my dresses are sexy," Regina teased, and her voice dropped to that sultry tone.

"Hell yes. I have fond memories of a time in a dressing room where you just so happened to wear one of those dresses..."

Regina snickered. "_Sí_, I remember that. I was wearing the red dress, wasn't I?"

"You sure were, beautiful girl."

Regina laughed again. spun around once more, but only to stop and take a deep gulp of air.

Emma was by her side so fast. "Woah, what's wrong?"

"Dizzy spell," Regina said lightly. "Happens sometimes. It's alright."

"Pregnancy thing?" Emma checked and gently grabbed Regina's elbows.

"_Sí_. Pregnancy thing," Regina replied a bit sheepishly. "It's completely normal, though."

"Sit down," Emma said simply.

"_Mi amor_-"

"Please, just sit down and relax for a sec- hang on, did you say '_mi amor_'?"

"Might have," Regina chuckled and cupped Emma's cheek. "Did you like it?"

"Very much so."

"Good." Regina leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Softly. Gently. Just a little peck, but it was entirely enough to make Emma forget all about dizzy spells and worrying. She wrapped her arms around Regina's waist, felt the curve on Regina's stomach press into her own. Emma smiled into the kiss. She just couldn't help it.

Regina was smiling too. Emma could feel it. And she could feel her body starting to react to Regina. That had already started when they were dancing really close, but now Emma could REALLY feel it. She broke the kiss and cleared her throat a little.

"You okay?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, absolutely, I'm just-"

"Me, too," Regina snickered, interrupting the rest of the sentence. "I think my sex drive just came back."

"Huh," Emma said, unsure of whether she should laugh or feel impressed by herself.

"How unfortunate," Regina said with faux sadness.

"Why's that unfortunate?" Emma queried as she placed her hands on Regina's hips again.

"Because I'm trying to be at my best behavior in your parents' house."

"My parents aren't here right now," Emma reminded her and gave her hips a slight squeeze. "We have the entire house to ourselves..."

Regina snickered and pressed herself a little more firmly against Emma. "You are making this _really_ hard, _querida_."

"Making what hard, honey?"

Regina's voice dropped several octaves when she murmured: "trying to be a good girl..."

Okay, that was it. Emma was officially horny! She gripped the back of Regina's neck and crushed their mouths together. Regina teethered for a moment but was quick to regain balance. She wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, bringing their bodies even closer together. Having Regina this close and feeling her breasts being pressed against her own made Emma feel dizzy and warm, and _fuck_, she had missed Regina! She had missed kissing her, missed feeling having her this close. And kissing her was most definitely not enough. She needed more. Skin to skin contact. She needed to feel every inch of Regina's perfect skin. Needed to see her. It had been too long.

Emma broke the kiss and gave the tip of Regina's nose a playful little boop with her own before asking: "upstairs?"

"You are trying to seduce me," Regina claimed with a snicker.

"You're right, I am. Is it working?"

"Mmm, _sí. Vamos arriba. Necesito quitarme la ropa_." Regina said and untangled herself from Emma.

"And what does that mean?"

"_Significa que necesito desnudarme_."

"Huh?"

Regina just snickered and sauntered towards the staircase.

"What does it meannnn?" Emma complained as she followed Regina up the stairs. "Tell me!"

"No, I don't think I'll do that. I think I'll make you wonder instead," Regina teased.

"You are so..." whatever Regina was, died on Emma's lips. Suddenly she was a little too busy staring at Regina's ass as they walked upstairs.

Regina turned her head and smirked when seeing what Emma was staring at. "I guess that means you like my dress?"

"I absolutely fucking love your dress!" Emma assured.

Regina snickered and grabbed Emma's hand. "Come on, _querida_. It's not nice to make a girl wait..."

She had a point. Emma stopped dawdling and made a whole hearted attempt at "taking charge" as she squeezed Regina's hand, walked the rest of the way up the stairs and lead Regina towards the bedroom. When they reached their destination, Emma kicked the door open, making Regina chuckle. "So forceful, Em-ma..."

"You like it," Emma said simply as she dragged Regina into the bedroom. Before she could get the chance to say anything, Emma was kissing her. Intensely and hungrily. For a second, she cringed slightly at the idea of this being her childhood room, but then she pushed the thought away. It didn't matter. It couldn't matter when Regina was right in front of her and smelled so wonderful of cinnamon and apples and everything nice. She let her hands wander from Regina's cheeks and to her waist where she fiddled with the zipper for a moment and gave it a teasing little tug.

Regina made a little sound in the back of her throat at that and that inspired Emma. She mouthed her way down to Regina's throat, and that little sound blossomed into a moan. Regina tipped her head back for better access, and Emma saw that as more than a go ahead sign. She kissed Regina's neck again, earned herself another moan and a hushed: "_dios mio_!"

"Yeah?" Emma teased with her mouth still on Regina's neck. "You like that?"

"_S-sí_," Regina stuttered and tethered slightly again.

Emma found that to be unbelievably sexy, and she couldn't help but to take a little bit advantage of it. "Let's get you on the bed, beautiful girl, we can't have you getting dizzy again."

"Oh ha ha," Regina said hoarsely.

But Emma wasn't aiming for making her laugh. She was aiming for something entirely different. And she got it. Regina made a slight squealing sound when Emma took her by surprise. Literally. She picked Regina up bridal style and carried her over to the bed.

"Emma Swan! Put me down!" Regina laughed.

"No sorry, can't do," Emma teased. But a moment later she did in fact set Regina down on the bed.

"Idiot," Regina laughed and held a hand out towards her. "Come here."

Emma willingly took the offered hand, but it was her turn to squeal in surprise when Regina yanked at her arm and send her toppling onto the bed. Landing directly on top of Regina.

"Woah, are you sure that's okay?" Emma said slightly breathlessly as she lifted her head from the crook of Regina's neck.

"_Sí, _why wouldn't it be?" Regina laughed.

"I don't wanna crush... anything." Emma murmured and adjusted herself slightly on top of Regina, so she wasn't putting too much pressure on her belly.

"Emma Swan, you are too good for me," Regina said simply as she wrapped her legs around Emma's waist.

"And you are obviously talking nonsense," Emma scoffed as she attacked Regina's neck once more.

Regina instantly began moaning and her head lolled to the side again.

Emma absolutely loved it. She loved how responsive and sensitive Regina was to her kisses. And her skin was so soft! Regina had been starring in every single fantasy Emma might have had during the weeks apart, but none of them could quite measure up to this. The real deal. The real, breathing Regina squirming underneath her and scoring her blunt fingernails up and down Emma's back. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. She actually thought that Regina was pretty far gone already, but she was clearly more aware than she let on. She tugged at Emma's tanktop, rucked it up, and Emma had no choice but to stop kissing Regina and lift her head just a smidge. Regina quickly took advantage of that and rucked the tanktop over Emma's head. The garment landed on the floor, and Emma smirked because for once she was prepared for this. She was wearing her nicest, black lace bra. Hella uncomfortable, but Regina's reaction to it was worth the discomfort. She carefully cupped Emma's breasts as though they had been made of glass. "_¡Dios mío, eres tan hermosa!_"

"Smooth talker," Emma grinned. She happened to know exactly what that meant.

"Trying my best."

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. Everything sounds better in Spanish. Now lets get you out of that dress." Emma briskly unzipped Regina's dress and tugged at the skirt until it bunched around Regina's hips.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to do it," Regina half-laughed as she batted Emma's hands away and sat up. She elegantly lifted her hips and then pulled the red dress over her head. The bra she was wearing underneath was red too. Seamless, simple and yet so terribly sexy. But Regina herself clearly didn't share that belief. She wrinkled her nose slightly when Emma ran her fingers over the fabric to get a closer look at it. "Not very fancy, I know."

"I think it's plenty fancy," Emma assured with a slight chuckle as she cupped a full breast in her hand. She had missed that too.

"Are you trying to cop a feel?" Regina laughed.

"Might be," Emma gave her breast a squeeze. Just a little one. Just to tease and back up Regina's claim of "copping a feel". She had meant it as a lame joke, but Regina scrunched up her nose, grimaced slightly and said: "careful, _querida_. Ow."

"'Ow'?" Emma echoed and moved her hand away from Regina's breast so quickly you would think she had burned herself. "Oh my god, I hurt you!"

"You didn't," Regina laughed. "Just a bit sensitive right now."

"I'll be more careful," Emma promised. "Lie back."

"Nope," Regina said simply and flashed Emma a smirk as she began to work the button and zipper in said blonde's jeans. After a moment she gave Emma a playful little shove that send her onto her back.

"Lift," Regina said simply and tapped Emma's hip once.

"Were you this bossy the last time?" Emma teased as she obediently lifted her hips.

"Probably. You just forgot it."

"I'd never."

Regina laughed as she tugged the jeans down Emma's legs and threw them on the floor where they landed next to her dress. She ran a soft, warm hand over Emma's stomach. "_Te extrañé. Eres muy hermosa."_

"Oh fuck, say something more!" Emma hissed.

"_Mi hermosa Em-ma_," Regina murmured as she wiggled a hand in between Emma and the mattress and started to fiddle with the clasp on Emma's bra.

"More," Emma demanded as she lifted her back just a tad, so Regina had better access.

"_Mi bella y exigente Em-ma_," Regina said, and it sounded like music.

"What does that mean?"

Regina didn't tell her. Instead she simply said: "_mi amor_."

Emma swallowed something. Those two words seemed to go right to her core. "S-say it again?"

"_Mi amor_," Regina repeated as she undid Emma's bra and slid the straps down her shoulders.

Emma felt a million goosebumps erupt on her skin where Regina touched her, and she had to swallow something again when Regina threw her bra on the floor. Emma had planned to make this all about having Regina laying back and pampering her, but Regina clearly had other plans, and Emma cursed under her breath when Regina palmed her breasts with her small hands.

"_Amo tus pechos_," Regina said and snickered.

"And that means...?"

"It means that I love these," she gave Emma's breasts a very gentle squeeze.

"Oh," Emma chuckled warmly. "Well, I'll have you know that I love yours too. Though I'd feel a lot better if I could see them..."

"Is that so?" Regina's voice was rich and sultry as she moved her hands away from Emma's breasts and reached up to unhook her own bra. Front clasp, Emma noted. After a second, Regina had succeeded in unhooking her bra, and Emma's eyes nearly bulged when she looked at her breasts. What was it Regina had said last night? That she'd 'ripened' considerably since the last time? Emma licked her lips. In this case, ripened was exactly the right word. Holy fucking shit, Emma had just found her newest obsession.

"Well?" Regina asked innocently. "What do you think, _mi amor_?"

"I think you're the fucking sexiest creature on the planet," Emma said and lifted her hands so she could palm Regina's breasts. "How do you say that in Spanish?"

"You don't," Regina chuckled. "You just-"

"Feel it?" Emma slyly suggested as she strummed her fingers over Regina's hard nipples.

Regina arched forward, into the touch. "S-something like that."

Emma smirked. "Get down here."

"No. I haven't had my wicked way with you yet," Regina said and wiggled away from Emma's wandering hands.

Emma pouted a little, but only until she felt Regina's hand in her underwear. Her toes immediately curled, and a strangled little sound escaped her. Her eyelids squeezed shut and left everything a burning red color. She didn't have to have her eyes open in order to know that Regina was smirking. She could damn well _feel_ it in the way her fingers hooked in the waistband of her panties and tugged them down.

"_Amo tu coño_," Regina said and sounded like she could barely hold back her laughter.

"And t-that means?" Emma swallowed hard as the panties were peeled off of her and down her legs.

"Something you'll never find out."

"What? Regina! That is not fa-"

"Shh," Regina interrupted, and Emma had absolutely no problem with shutting up when her hand came into contact with her sex. She wiggled on the bed and spread her legs. Regina didn't need further encouragement than that. She stroked once, twice, and Emma's toes curled again. She had to grip onto the sheet and pleaded: "come up here, please! I want you close!"

Again, she didn't have to plead. It didn't take long before Regina was laying stretched out on top of her. Her hair tickled Emma's cheek, and her scent filled Emma's nostrils. Apples. Cinnamon. She moved her hands from the sheet and to Regina's hair and cried out when she felt two of Regina's fingers enter her slowly. This scenario had been her fantasy during the many weeks she and Regina had been apart. But this time it wasn't a fantasy. It was the real deal, and Emma clutched at Regina's back. To have something to hold on to, and because she had this irrational fear that Regina would slip away between her fingers and disappear if she didn't held on tight. She told Regina this. The words came out completely garbled, but Regina still understood.

"_No iré a ninguna parte_," she murmured in Emma's ear before kissing the spot just below it.

Emma laughed strangled. She couldn't help it. Regina was speaking Spanish in bed. She was too busy to remember to speak English. It was perfect. Exactly like it was supposed to be. Emma's toes curled again when Regina took her kisses lower and reached the top of her chest. Dot, dot, dot. Tiny little pecks everywhere on her skin. More goosebumps. Emma's grip on Regina's hair tightened and all conversation or attempts at it became unimportant when she felt the full effect of Regina's fingers inside her. Regina already knew her so well. Knew exactly what made her tick, what to do to make her moan and cry out in ecstasy. Emma could feel her abdomen starting to tingle and tighten, and she groaned again.

"_Mi amor_," Regina murmured against her chest. "_Eres tan hermosa, Emma. Vamos, quiero escucharte_."

She had seemingly forgotten that Emma had no clue what that meant, but it didn't matter. Her tone and the foreign language made Emma's insides quiver, and she cursed a bit more for good measurement. Regina chuckled against her chest, sending vibrations everywhere, and Emma braced herself for what was to come. This had been her fantasy for weeks and weeks, and this was exactly how she came undone. With Regina's fingers inside her, and her mouth on her breast.

The orgasm left her breathless and unable to speak for a while, but when she regained those abilities, she wanted nothing more than to nudge Regina onto her back and wipe the smirk off her pretty face, but Regina had other plans. She placed her warm, warm hands on Emma's thighs and asked: "still with me, _mi amor_?"

"I...I think so?"

Regina chuckled. "Good enough." and with that she ducked down. Her head disappeared between Emma's legs, and Emma's neat plans about wiping the smirk of Regina's face immediately vaporized and became the faintest of memory. Regina's oh so talented tongue became the only thing worth thinking about, and she cried out when Regina's tongue brushed against her clit and sent new frissons of pleasure through her body. She grabbed a handful of Regina's hair and tugged slightly. Felt Regina's hands grasping her inner thighs to get a better ankle. Emma's head lolled back, and her mouth fell open. A half-scream fell from her lips. Fuck, the way Regina used her tongue was utterly mind blowing! Emma wasn't sure she was even alive right now! Her breath came out in little pants, and she had to move one hand away from Regina's hair and toss an arm over her eyes. It felt like she was going to fucking explode!

Regina's tongue was still flicking against her clit in quick, rapid motions. Again, she knew exactly what Emma liked. Knew exactly when to do what. How to make her moan and hiss.

"Regina, please!"

And how to make her beg. Emma wasn't one to beg. Had never been. Except for when it came to Regina. Everything was different when it came to Regina. Emma's toes curled again, as did her belly. She huffed, almost sobbed when saying Regina's name again.

Regina, bless her, was very capable of understanding the nonsense Emma was babbling. Her lips wrapped around Emma's clit and she began to suck at the swollen nub. Emma straight up screamed at that. For a very brief second it felt like it was too much. It felt like everything was on fire, she was on fire, every last nerve in her body was standing on edge. She had no control over anything. Her back arched off the bed, she nearly slapped herself in the face with the arm still draped over her eyes, but she barely felt it. The only thing she could feel was Regina and the way she sucked at her clit.

"I'm- I'll-" fucking hell, Emma didn't even know how that sentence was gonna end, didn't even know why she had said something in the first place. The words died on her tongue. Words became quite unnecessary when she felt that all too familiar fire starting in her belly and wrapping around to her lower back. It unfurled and bloomed like a flower until she was breathless and gasping and white light popped behind her eyes.

The second orgasm was even stronger than the first one, and while still basking in the pleasant tingles, Emma completely melted back against the mattress with a contend and slightly garbled: "aaaah!" she felt Regina's lips releasing her clit and Emma opened her eyes just in time to see Regina lift her head and wipe her mouth. Her dark eyes were nearly black and sparkling with mischief. "_Tan sexy_."

"YOU are 'tan sexy'," Emma croaked with an unbelievably bad accent.

Regina chuckled. "You look so good like this. I'd say eatable, but..."

"I'm pretty sure you already did that," Emma rasped and made a half-assed attempt at making Regina come closer. "Now come here. You ruined my plans."

"Your plans abou what exactly, _querida_?" Regina asked pushed her hair away from her face.

"Seducing you," Emma said and wished that she had sounded a bit more alert.

Regina laughed and licked her lips. "_Sabes tan jodidamente buena!_"

"And that means...?"

"It means..." Regina shifted so she suddenly was on top of Emma. "You..." she kissed Emma's cheek. "Taste." The corner of her mouth. "So." full on the lips. "Fucking". A nip to her bottom lip. "Good!" teeth gracing Emma's lower lip.

"Oh, no you don't," Emma growled and surprised herself by quickly shifting them, so she was on top of Regina.

Regina laughed at her. "Careful. Don't hurt yourself."

"You feel so fucking high and mighty, don't you?" Emma growled but couldn't help but laugh.

"I just made you come spectacularly twice. _Sí_, I feel high and mighty."

That was when Emma attacked her. She fused their mouths together in a searing kiss that had Regina's legs wrapping snugly around her waist. Emma tugged lightly at her bottom lip. Regina moaned breathily at that and her legs squeezed around Emma's waist. God, Emma loved those ridiculously long and tanned and strong legs! Seriously, Regina's legs deserved some kind of higher praising.

Emma kept kissing and kissing her. She completely ignored the way her own lips had started to tingle. She could damn well be out of breath later! She pried Regina's lips apart and slipped her tongue inside her mouth, kissed the breath right out of her, kissed her until both of them were gasping for air, and then found that sensitive spot where Regina's neck met her shoulder. Kissed a bit harder there. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but still hard enough to nip slightly. She couldn't resist Regina's golden skin. She had dreamed about Regina's golden skin. Many, many times. Had woken up and been disappointed because the dream had felt so real but actually hadn't been. Now she didn't have to dream anymore. Now it really was real!

Regina muttered something in Spanish, and Emma answered in a very special manner. In a flash of inspiration she grabbed Regina's wrists and pinned them to the pillow on either side of her face. It didn't escape her notice that Regina's cries went sharper and a little more delirious at that.

"Kinky," Emma couldn't resist to tease as she lifted her head and grinned down at Regina.

"_Cállate_," Regina said and flushed a little.

Emma narrowed her eyes and gave Regina's wrist a little squeeze. "Did you just tell me to shut up?"

"Maybe," Regina muttered.

Emma tilted her head and clicked her tongue. "I don't think that's a nice thing to do at all. I actually think it's pretty... naughty."

To her extreme delight, Regina blushed crimson and muttered something that sounded like '_lo siento_'

"Shit," Emma half-laughed. "You really like that, don't you?"

Regina gave a little half-shrug. "_Sí_. Maybe that means I'm weird, I don't know..."

"It doesn't. It means that you're unbelievably sexy," Emma interrupted. "I love it."

Regina grinned up at her. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah!"

Regina snickered now.

"What if I asked you to keep your hands there?" Emma queried.

"Then you would be extremely unfair."

"Definitely," Emma agreed with a grin. "But would you actually do it, though?"

"I would try."

"Awesome," Emma grinned. "Then I suggest you do that. Keep your hands right there while I..." she released Regina's wrists and palmed her breasts. "Pay some special attention to these..."

"You are having way too much fun with this!" Regina accused.

"Of course I am. Now close your eyes, lie back, and...think of Madrid," Emma smirked. With that she bowed her head and gave Regina's right nipple a quick lick.

Regina's body immediately jerked underneath her, and Emma looked up for a split second. She felt the arousal fizzling through her body all over again at what she saw. Not only was Regina keeping her wrist where they were, but she had also gripped onto the headboard. And if that wasn't the sexiest thing Emma had ever seen.

"_Tan sexy_," Emma teased and used Regina's words against her.

"_Cállate y follame!_"

"In a moment," Emma promised. "I just wanna... enjoy you a little first. It's been ages since I last did this."

Regina huffed and wiggled underneath her. Her legs loosened around Emma's waist and flattened out on the bed instead.

"Relax..." Emma said and brushed a hand over that dead sexy little tattoo on Regina's hip. "I've got you..." she trailed her hand lower and brushed it over the wet spot on Regina's underwear.

Regina immediately stopped squirming and cursed in Spanish instead.

Emma kept her hand in place on the outside of Regina's underwear while lowering her head and showering Regina's breast in undivided attention again. She wasn't trying to be mean. She would definitely give Regina more in a moment. But first she wanted to do what she had dreamed of doing for weeks. Worship her until she trembled...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Mmm, sí. Vamos arriba. Necesito quitarme la ropa= Mmm, yes. Let's go upstairs. I need to take my clothes off.

Significa que necesito desnudarme= It means I need to get naked.

Mi bella y exigente Em-ma= My beautiful and demanding Em-ma

No iré a ninguna parte= I'm not going anywhere.


	21. Chapter 21

"Mmmm," Regina hummed and seemed to melt against the mattress. "That was-"

"Something I'd like to do again in a moment," Emma smugly finished the sentence as she wrapped an arm around Regina.

"Again?" Regina laughed. "_Dios mio_, Emma, you'll be the death of me!"

"No, I won't. I'll obviously let you catch your breath first. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried about my ability to breathe," Regina chuckled. "I'm worried about my ability to feel my legs."

"You can't feel your legs?" Emma said and tried not to be too smug about it.

"Not really."

Emma laughed and gave Regina a little squeeze. "I'm tellin' you, my ego is just rising and rising..."

"As it should do," Regina breathed and gave a little chuckle as she turned around, so they were face to face.

Emma looked at her. God, she was so beautiful. All flushed cheeks and big, dark eyes. Mussed up hair and swollen lips. Surely, Regina had never looked more beautiful than she did right now. With that big, silly post-coital grin plastered to her face.

"How did we survive without this for weeks and weeks?" Regina wondered out loud.

"I dunno." Emma cupped her face and teased: "and you said you didn't have a sex drive!"

"I didn't until I saw you again," Regina chuckled. She ran a hand over the bump on her abdomen. "Did you know that sex during pregnancy can lower my blood pressure?"

"Really?" Emma asked with genuine interest. "Tell me more."

"According to all my clever apps and books, sex can actually feel better while I'm pregnant," Regina continued. "Extra blood flow heightens the sensitivity, which means my orgasms..."

"You had a pretty good one a second ago," Emma grinned and booped Regina's nose with the tip of her finger.

"Just you wait for the second trimester," Regina smirked. "My sex drive is supposed to reach some sort of high by then."

"I'm going to Madrid for the entirety of your second trimester then."

Regina laughed.

"Tell me more about all the benefits," Emma prompted. "I'm really curious."

"Strange pillow talk, but I suppose I was the one who brought it up in the first place," Regina said and brushed a strand of hair away from her sweaty forehead. "It can strengthen my pelvic muscles for the birth."

"Oh, wow," Emma said. "That is a pretty genius way to prepare for... things."

"Yeah," Regina said and made a bit of a face. "I shouldn't have brought up the birth. Now I'm thinking about it."

"Nope," Emma said simply. "Not tonight. Come here." she took Regina in her arms more properly and kissed her sweetly.

Regina returned the kiss and made this little "mm" sound which drove Emma absolutely crazy. She trailed her hands down and cupped Regina's breasts, which only made Regina release another soft sound. Emma made sure to be a hundred percent gentle as she touched Regina's breasts. She knew how sensitive they were, and Emma had absolutely no interest in making Regina say "ow" again. One time had been more than enough. In fact it had been pretty fucking horrible, and Emma had already apologized profusely by kissing every inch of Regina's breasts. Regina had been a trembling, panting beautiful mess at the end of it, and Emma had felt unbelievably satisfied with her own doing. And she was pretty fucking satisfied right now too as she gently strummed her fingers over Regina's sensitive nipples.

Regina groaned into the kiss and was already starting to squirm.

Emma broke the kiss and carefully shifted them, so Regina was sitting on her lap.

"Hi," Regina chuckled and pushed a lock of hair away from her forehead.

"Hello, you," Emma said softly and ran a hand from the nape of Regina's neck and all the way down to her ass. She couldn't resist and gave it a little squeeze.

"Oooh," Regina said in an almost cooing matter. "_Esa se siente bien._"

"Yeah?" Emma chuckled. She did understand the word "bien". And plus, the look on Regina's face told her everything she needed to know. She kept her hands firmly planted on Regina's as she bowed her head and kissed the top of Regina's breast. Then a little lower.

"Don't you ever get enough, _querida_?" Regina half-chuckled and wiggled slightly again.

"Of you? Never," Emma murmured against Regina's chest. "Are you tired though?"

"No. I don't think I ever will be."

Now Emma was the one to half-chuckle. She gave Regina's ass another squeeze and lowered her mouth to her breast again. Regina's skin tasted salty and spicy and just a little sweet. The best flavor in the whole wide world. Emma had long forgotten that this was her childhood bedroom. She had forgotten that her parents existed. Exactly like in Spain, the world shrank until it only consisted of her and Regina. Emma took her kisses a tad lower until she could brush her lips over Regina's right nipple. It felt hard and swollen under her lips, and she couldn't blame Regina for breathing "_Mierda_" under her breath. Emma felt soft fingers in her hair. Never tugging, just weaving through the blonde locks. She had a suspicion that Regina was not-so-secretly obsessed with her hair, and Emma really fucking loved that. A lot. She had always considered her hair to be a frizzy, untamable mess, so it was really nice that Regina clearly thought otherwise. For a second, Emma almost got carried away, and she quickly reminded herself to be a little careful with Regina's breasts. She was being beyond gentle as she slowly began to suck at a hard nipple, and Regina huffed and squirmed.

"Are you trying to kill me, _querida_?" she asked. "Because surely, this is the way to do it."

Emma almost chuckled at that. Regina sounded delightfully breathless and a bit frustrated. To make up for that, Emma gave her ass another squeeze. A harder one. She felt Regina squirm on her lap, and sure enough, Emma could feel her getting wetter. Someone really liked that. She gave Regina's ass another hard squeeze, and this time Regina's head lolled back, and she moaned deeply.

Emma found herself more than capable of multitasking and kept kneading her ass while simultaneously sucking at her nipple. It felt like Regina was turning into liquid on top of her. Emma's lap was definitely getting more and more soaked. Emma found it curious that Regina had claimed that her sex drive was gone. The opposite definitely seemed to be the case. Regina had been nothing but enthusiastic, and that wasn't exactly something that could be faked.

"_Mi amor_," Regina breathed, and yep, that was enough to make Emma pause what she was doing for a split second. Those words and the way Regina said it made Emma's blood boil and her head spin.

"_Serás la muerte de mí, mi amor_," Regina said breathlessly, and Emma would definitely be asking about that later, because she had heard the word "muerte", and any talk of Regina dying was not something she ever wanted to discuss.

"_Estoy cachonda_," Regina continued, and now Emma snickered against her skin and gave her ass another hard squeeze. She knew exactly what that meant. Beautiful words indeed.

Regina squirmed again, and Emma figured that she was ready for more than gropes and kisses. She carefully shifted them again, positioned Regina on her back on the bed.

Regina smiled sweetly up at her. "What are you gonna do to me now, _querida_?"

Emma shook her head and licked her lips. "How can you manage to sound so innocent and so mischievous at the same time? I don't get it."

"Special talent of mine," Regina chuckled and blinked up at her. The gesture could have been completely innocent if it hadn't been for the way she parted her legs.

Emma shook her head again and brushed a hand over the little crown tattoo on Regina's hip. "I think you're full of special talents, beautiful girl."

"Perhaps I am," Regina agreed with a soft chuckle. "Tell me, Em-ma... Do you have a tattoo fetish?"

"Maybe," Emma murmured as she bowed her head and kissed the tattoo on Regina's hip.

"You are tickling me," Regina complained.

"Am I?" Emma teased and kissed the tattoo again.

"I never should have gotten that tattoo," Regina grumbled and squirmed again.

"Sure you should. It's sexy. _Tan sexy_," Emma half-chuckled. She couldn't resist to purse her lips and blow air onto the tattoo.

Regina made a sound between a moan and a groan. "You are wicked."

_Wicked_. Emma paused for a second. What a sexy little word. "Say it again."

"Say what again?"

"Wicked."

"Wicked," Regina repeated and now she was definitely chuckling. "Wicked is what you are, Em-ma."

"Oh yeah, I'm extremely wicked," Emma agreed as she moved her hand to the apex of Regina's thighs and touched the soft smoothness there. "Extremely wicked for doing this, right?"

"Wicked," Regina breathed, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "Very...wicked. Oh god, please touch me!"

"I AM touching you, honey," Emma couldn't resist to tease.

"_¿Por favor?_" Regina said and her voice dropped several octaves and became deliciously rough and husky. "_Por favor tócame y hazme el amor, Emma_."

Emma wasn't completely sure what that meant. She knew that "_tócame_" meant either "touch" or "touch me" and "amor"...well, she didn't need a translation for that. "How am I supposed to keep up the teasing when you speak Spanish?" she said softly.

"_Estoy muy cachonda!_"

Emma couldn't keep up the charade. She lined up two fingers with Regina's entrance and then slowly slipped them inside while keeping her eyes fixed on Regina's face. She loved seeing the look on Regina's face. See how her jaw drop, how her eyes squeezed shut and then opened again. How she bit her lip and then flashed a teeny tiny smile and an "ahh!"

"Does that feel so good?" Emma asked unnecessarily and returned the smile.

"So good," Regina breathed. "So, so good!"

"You are so fucking beautiful," Emma said as she kissed Regina's warm cheek. She wiggled her fingers to accentuate her point and earned herself another "ahh!" from Regina.

Emma reveled in the sounds the movements of her fingers could coax out of Regina, and she couldn't resist to change the angle a little. She shifted so she was laying on top of Regina and could kiss her lips as much as she wanted to. And Regina once again proved how full of special talents she was when she lifted her legs and hooked them over Emma's shoulders. Emma was trapped. In the most delightful way possible. She twisted her hand just a tad so she could press the heel against Regina's clit.

Regina moaned into the kiss again. Robbed of the ability to talk. But she didn't have to talk right now. All Emma needed was to feel the way her legs trembled a bit. That's how she knew exactly how much Regina was enjoying herself. But still, she missed hearing Regina babble in Spanish, so she broke the kiss and quickened the pace just a little, hit Regina's g-spot with a bit more force.

"Fuck!" Regina cursed.

"Yeah," Emma half-chuckled. "I'd say that's a pretty good description, actually."

Regina let out something that could have been a choked little laughter.

"You look absolutely stunning like this. Did you know that?" Emma breathed. She wasn't completely sure why she insisted upon having a conversation right now.

"_¡Oh dios, fóllame!_"

"I. Am!" Emma almost growled and curled her fingers inside Regina again.

"H-Harder," Regina hissed. "More!"

"As Milady wish," Emma said and felt herself getting wetter and wetter with each time she hit Regina's g-spot in a quick, hard thrust.

Regina let out a flurry of Spanish curse words, and Emma was surprised there was anymore left. Regina should have used the quota of curse words in both Spanish and English when Emma went down on her a moment ago. She had certainly been hoarse afterwards. But now it seemed like her voice had made a rather miraculous recover. And it certainly also seemed like she could feel her legs again. They were still hooked over Emma's shoulder and even weighing her down a little bit, but Emma couldn't say that she minded it. She loved having Regina close, and this was no exception. And honestly, the more she felt of Regina's long, strong legs, the happier she was.

"_¡Usted me está matando!_" Regina shrieked. Emma didn't have the first clue what that meant, but she knew she was going to ask Regina about it later. She always did that afterwards. Sometimes Regina told her, and sometimes she didn't. She had refused to tell Emma what '_Amo tu coño_' meant, and it had annoyed Emma endlessly. She had tried to coax it out of Regina with sweet kisses and caresses, but Regina hadn't budged. That was her secret, she claimed. Hers and hers alone.

"Fuck!"

Emma grinned. She definitely knew what that meant. And she knew what the slight tugs at her hair and tightening sensation around her fingers meant. Regina was nearly there, and Emma eagerly dipped down and slotted their lips together in a kiss.

Regina sloppily returned the kiss and her fingers tugged harder at Emma's hair. She wiggled and moaned into the kiss and then her body twitched. Her muscles clamped down around Emma's fingers. Emma felt teeth sink into her bottom lip as Regina came, and she thought to herself that this was the sexiest thing Regina had done so far. Kissing her right before an orgasm had been a risk on Emma's behalf, but she was pretty fucking happy about having taken that risk.

Regina pulled out of the kiss and groaned. Her legs became deadweight on Emma's shoulders. Her fingers stopped tugging at blonde hair and fell away. Emma saw them land on the mattress with a dull thump. Regina was done for. The roles had switched, and now Emma was the one to feel high and mighty as she effortlessly slipped out under Regina's legs. Those normally so strong legs now landed limply on the mattress with a louder thud. She heaved a euphoric sigh of relief. It almost seemed like the breath was exploding out of her lungs as though she had been holding it. Who knows, maybe she had.

Emma snickered softly as she gently slipped her fingers out of Regina and sucked them dry. The salty taste of Regina prickled on her tongue. "You're always so fucking delicious," she told the younger woman.

Regina didn't react to that in anyway. She remained a limp thing on the bed, and Emma settled on her side, propped herself up on one elbow so she could study Regina. Her forehead which had been all scrunched up in pleasure a moment ago was now smooth and free of any lines. Lucky her. Imagine to be twenty years old again. Emma lifted the fingers that weren't sticky and self-consciously brought them up to her face. Her cheek felt soft and smooth, but Emma knew that she was starting to get lines around her eyes. It wasn't like she was deathly afraid of growing old or anything but having a twenty year old young and perky thing as your girlfriend had definitely made Emma think more about her age. And maybe be a little concerned too. She would be turning twenty nine next month. Only a year away from thirty. The big number thirty. By the time she turned thirty, Regina would be twenty two. Twenty two. Emma did her best to push it away. She hadn't yet turned thirty. She was still in her twenties. She didn't have to panic just yet. The only thing she should concentrate on was being here in the moment with Regina. Except that Regina didn't appear to very much in the moment. She was still laying limp on the mattress, and her eyes were still closed. And her breathing had evened out and become slow and steady. Hmm. Emma cocked her head. Maybe Regina had fallen asleep. She was still in her first trimester. "The sleep-all-day-trimester" as she jokingly had called it at some point. Yes, it was entirely possible that she had fallen asleep again. Right after sex. Bit of a cliché, but in Regina's case, it was an incredibly cute cliché. Of course it was. Everything Regina did was adorable. That was just how things were.

Emma felt a silly need to check if Regina really was asleep. She picked up Regina's wrist and then released it again. Regina's hand limply fell back against the mattress with a soft thud.

"Oh, ha, ha, ha," Regina said and clearly tried to sass, but her voice just sounded meek.

"So you aren't asleep," Emma chuckled. "Could have fooled me, honey."

"Just recovering," Regina said and blinked her eyes open. Her gaze was a bit unfocused. She almost looked a little cross eyed, and Emma couldn't help but chuckle as she admired her girlfriend. She looked absolutely stunning like this. Gloriously naked and with her dark hair fanning out on the pillow. Emma suddenly felt immensely grateful for the red sheet and pillow case. Regina's skin looked lovely against it.

"Can I take a picture of you?" Emma asked.

Regina's brow furrowed. "I'm naked."

"Mhmm, so I've noticed," Emma laughed. "And that's why no eyes except mine will ever look at the pictures."

"That's good enough for me," Regina half-chuckled. "By all means go ahead, _querida_. Take your picture."

Emma shuffled and opened a drawer. Found her camera which had been tugged away there. She switched it on and aimed the lens at Regina.

"Should I pose for you as well?" Regina asked just a tiny bit sarcastic.

"No, you're perfect just like that," Emma said and squinted slightly. "Don't move, okay? Keep completely still, and-" she pulled the trigger and the camera made a sound indicating that she had just taken the picture. "Perfect!" she grinned. "Absolutely perfect. Can I take one more?"

Regina chuckled as she nodded yes, but before Emma could aim the lens at her, she had grabbed a handful of the covers red covers. She playfully pulled them all the way up so her nose and eyes were the only things visible.

"Yes," Emma said plainly. "Fuck, that's perfect!" the effect was incredible. Regina looked innocent and mischievous at the same time. Sweet with just a hint of seduction.

"Go on," Regina encouraged from underneath the covers, and Emma immediately pulled the trigger and took a picture. Shaking her head slightly, the blonde said: "Fuck, you're so perfect."

Regina chuckled sweetly. "You wanna take one more?"

"Uhm, hell fucking yeah!"

Regina removed the covers slightly, so her face was visible, and then she extended a long and golden leg out from underneath it, and Emma swallowed hard. The only part of Regina's body visible was her leg, and for some reason it was even sexier than when she had been completely naked a moment ago.

"Beautiful," she said softly as she lifted the camera a third time and took the picture of Regina.

"Am I a good model?" Regina joked.

"The best. My favorite." Emma glanced at the red nail polish Regina was wearing tonight, and she was hit with a wave of "photographer inspiration". "Do you think you could move that hand down to your tattoo?"

"Certainly," Regina said lightly. She moved her hand down to the tattoo like Emma had asked her to, and the effect was stunning. Her fingers with the red nail polish barely gracing the ink on her golden skin, and the red sheet as a backdrop. If it was possible to get aroused over a photograph, that was certainly what was happening to Emma right now as she took closeup after closeup of Regina's hand and tattoo.

"Right, this is the best picture I've ever taken," Emma said simply and kissed Regina's hand before straightening her posture and sitting up more properly.

Regina laughed. "I think the picture of the swan in the harbor is a little better than a picture of my hand, _querida_."

"Nope. This is the one that will win all the awards, I can feel it," Emma said firmly and sighed as she looked at the picture she had just taken. "Do you mind if I upload this to my website? It would be an act of selfishness to keep this to myself. Someone has to see it."

"Go ahead," Regina snickered. "I don't think anyone will die from seeing my hand and hip."

"Obviously not," Emma scoffed. "You have the prettiest hands. And hips. And everything else."

Regina snickered again. "I think you're a tad biased."

"And you're more than a tad beautiful."

"And quite disappointed that you haven't kissed me in-" Regina lifted her head and glanced at Emma's alarm clock. "Almost ten minutes."

"Well, we better do something about that, huh?" Emma chuckled as she stuffed the camera back in its drawer. In one flurried motion she was on top of Regina. And immediately stiffened because she had landed pretty harshly on top of the younger brunette.

"It's fine, you're fine," Regina assured with a soft snicker. "Just kiss me, _querida_."

So that was exactly what Emma did. She kissed Regina's now swollen and puffy lips and felt how Regina's arms winded around her neck.

They were heavily engaged in kissing which probably could have lead to something more, but suddenly, the gravel in the driveway crunched, and Emma could faintly see the headlights from a car through the curtain. She broke the kiss and looked up more properly, and so did Regina. Obviously, Emma had known that her parents were bound to come home from their date sooner or later, but still, it wasn't that great to suddenly realize that this was in fact her childhood room and that she still lived with her parents.

"Oh," Regina said and chuckled softly.

"Okay, but this is an absolute mood killer!" Emma said, whispering as though her parents could hear her.

"I don't think I could have taken another to be honest," Regina said almost sheepishly. "You've worn me out, _señorita-_" chuckling as she corrected herself: "_Miss _Swan."

Emma for a moment forgot about her parents and felt all high and mighty again. Four times in a row. That was how many times she had managed to make Regina come. And she was fucking proud of that. "Fair enough," she conceded and booped her nose against Regina's. "But still, I really wish I had my own place! There wouldn't be any, uhh... interruptions. Or...parents coming home. God, this is awkward!"

"It is not," Regina insisted. "It's just a circumstance, _querida_. You'll find your own place soon enough."

"Yeah," Emma muttered as she gently rolled off Regina. "I guess we'll have to call it a night."

"We could still talk," Regina said lightly and pulled the covers up over her body. Almost as though the arrival of Emma's parents prompted her to cover herself.

"We definitely could," Emma agreed and cupped Regina's warm cheek. "If you're not too tired that is."

"How dare you," Regina mocked and suddenly sounded years older. They both laughed, but the laughter quickly died down to muffled chuckles and shushing sounds when they heard the front door open.

Emma listened intensely as she heard her parents pottering around in the hallway to discard of their coats and all that. Then footsteps on the staircase. Strangely enough, it sounded like only one person was coming up the stairs, but the audible "shh!" coming from Emma's mother made Emma acutely aware of what was going on. Her mom was clearly trying her best at being quiet and pretend that she wasn't there, and her dad who sounded like he was stomping up the stairs clearly tried _his_ best at making as much noise as possible to alert them of his presence in the house.

"Be _quiet_!" Mary Margaret hissed in the hallway.

"I _am_ being quiet!" David whispered back.

"You are not!" Emma's mother protested. "You make it sound like a horde of elephants are stomping through the house!"

What her father answered to that accusation was lost to Emma when Regina rolled onto her stomach and buried her face- and laughter- in the pillow.

Emma waited until she heard the door to her parents bedroom open and close. Then she chuckled and said: "oh god, I feel like a teenager all over again."

Regina chuckled as she rolled onto her side. "Brought a lot of girls and boys home when you were a teenager?"

Emma laughed. "Didn't happen that often, no. I mean, I did meet Neal when I was sixteen, and being the hormonal teenagers we were-" she waved a hand.

"I get it," Regina said and snickered softly.

"Whenever he slept over, my parents made the same show they just performed tonight. I'm having a major case of deja-vu," Emma said with a slight headshake.

Regina chuckled again. "At least your parents are considerate. That's more than can be said about my mother-" she made a face, and Emma remembered how Cora had ruined the relationship between Regina and her first girlfriend, Daniela.

"Anyway," Regina put on a smile and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I really had fun tonight, _querida_."

"Me, too," Emma said warmly and wiggled a bit closer so she could boop Regina's nose. "What do you wanna do tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Regina said lightly. "Why don't we figure it out tomorrow?"

"Fair enough," Emma said and tried not to "aww" out loud when Regina curled up in her arms like a cat. Emma felt snug and warm and very happy. She had a beautiful woman in her arms. She and Regina had two whole weeks together. No one was going home yet.

"Are you asleep?" Regina asked quietly.

"Nope," Emma said slightly surprised. "But I thought that you were."

Regina chuckled a little. "Not quite yet."

"You don't feel sleepy?"

"I'm sure I will in a second," Regina said lightly and touched Emma's cheek with her fingertips.

"Jetlag?"

"No. You. I like looking at you."

"You should get some sleep, though. I'll be here tomorrow too," Emma pointed out.

"_Sí_, I know. Goodnight, _querida_."

"Goodnight, honey. Sleep well."

"I'm sure I will. How could I do anything but?" once again, Regina curled up in her arms. Emma felt her lashes flutter against her chest. Regina was so warm in her arms. So small. Emma was certain that there wasn't a better way to go sleep than like this. She forced herself to stay awake a little longer though. Just so she could listen to the sound of Regina's breathing evening out and becoming slow and steady. Someone was clearly tired after all. Emma bit back a soft chuckle. God forbid she should wake Regina. After a moment, Emma closed her eyes and allowed herself to relish in the warm, fuzzy feeling swirling low in her belly. It didn't take long before she too drifted off to sleep...

The next morning she woke up to warm, but empty sheets and the smell of bacon wafting through the house. Wait, bacon? Emma sat up in bed and sniffed. Yep, definitely bacon. And something fried. And... maple syrup? Interesting. And what's more Regina seemed to be missing. AND there was laughter and happy chitchat coming from downstairs. Even more interesting. Time to investigate what was going on.

Emma hopped out of bed and padded over to the closet. She found a pair of panties and the checkered pajamas bottoms and the baseball shirt she always slept in. Then she left her bedroom and went into the bathroom where she brushed her hair until it definitely did not look like she'd had sex last night. She brushed her teeth, washed her face a little, ended up tying her hair back into a ponytail and then she left the bathroom and went downstairs.

It was safe to say that Emma was in for a surprise when she came padding into the kitchen. Her parents were sitting by the table, and Regina was standing in front of the stove. She was fully dressed in a long sleeved blue dress and her hair was slightly damp. Emma took a second to mourn the fact that Regina had showered without her. But then the interest in what Regina was doing became too interesting for her to think about anything else. Emma tilted her head slightly as she watched Regina elegantly move the fried slices of toasts onto two plates with a spatula. She carefully placed some bacon on top of the sizzling slices and then sprinkled both bread and bacon with syrup.

"There we go," she said as she grabbed the plates and walked over to the kitchen table with them elegantly balancing in her hands. She sat the two full plates down in front of Mary Margaret and David.

"Wow, that looks really delicious Regina," David said and flashed her a beaming smile. "Thank you so much."

Regina shrugged modestly. "It's the least I can do."

"You are too kind dear," Emma's mother beamed. The smile she was wearing was more than suggesting that she thought Regina was being too sweet for words.

Regina chuckled a little.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Emma asked softly.

Regina's head whipped up, and she flashed a teasing smile. "Why, good morning, _querida_. I thought I would have to go upstairs and kiss you awake in a moment."

"Like Sleeping Beauty," Emma said a bit dopily but then sobered up and raised an eyebrow as she looked at the plates full of delicious breakfast Regina had just served for her parents.

"You are just in time for French toast," Regina said briskly and walked back to the stove and the frying pan. "You want French toast too, right?"

"Yes, but you don't have to-"

"Nonsense, I'm already in the mood to cook," Regina brushed her off with a grin.

"Regina's a right hawk in the kitchen," David interjected, and his eyes widened when he took a bite of the French toast.

"When your father owns a restaurant and cooks all the time, it's fairly impossible not to learn something," Regina said lightly. "Does it taste good?"

"It's wonderful, Regina," Mary Margaret said. She was still beaming.

"Good," Regina said and grabbed two new slices of toast and placed them on the frying pan. Looking over her shoulder, she asked Emma: "You _do _want French toast, right?"

"Yeah. But I can-"

"Help?" Regina finished the sentence and laughed. "Oh no, _querida_. You keep forgetting that I'm the daughter of a chef. One more person in the kitchen would only annoy me. If you wanna help, you can go and sit down." she effortlessly flipped the slices of toast, and only now Emma noticed that Regina was in fact wearing a flowery apron over her dress. She looked like something straight out of an old movie, and Emma shook her head a little as she obediently plopped down on a chair by the kitchen table. She was still sleepy. She had to be. Otherwise the completely ridiculous thought "marry me" never would have popped into her head into the first place.

Her mom placed a hand on top of Emma's and gave a little squeeze. When Emma looked up, she flashed Emma a smile. A "your-girlfriend-is-perfect-and-every-mother-in-law's-dream"-smile. Emma nodded a little. Regina was pretty damn perfect.

"How come you're up this early?" Emma asked and suffocated a yawn. It was only eight o'clock. She could have done with a bit more sleep.

"Jetlag, I think," Regina said, and her voice sounded light and casual when she continued: "and I had a phone call with Sofía and Alessandra. They just wanted to make sure that everything is okay with...everything."

"Right," Emma said in that light "say no more"-tone she often adopted whenever Regina was getting uncomfortable talking about the baby in front of anyone.

After a couple of minutes, Regina used the spatula to move the freshly fried slices of toast to the plate. Next, she fried some bacon, and once that was crispy and smelled delicious, she loaded it onto the plate and sprinkled syrup over the bread and bacon. "There we are," she smiled. "One French toast for the lady." She chuckled slightly as she carried the plate over to the table and sat it down in front of Emma.

"What are _you_ having for breakfast?" Emma asked and raised an eyebrow. She saw no fourth plate of French toast on the table.

Regina pointed to her own plate which was loaded with crackers with jam.

Emma's eyes were slits now. "Just that?"

"_Sí_. I had a hint of nausea when I woke up, so I figured it would be better to start the day with crackers. Seemed like a safe choice," Regina said and untied her apron and sat down. "But I might make myself a French toast too."

"Or I'll make it for you," Emma said quickly.

Regina chuckled. "You cooked for me last night, _querida_. And as I told your parents, it was absolutely delicious."

"Not as delicious as this!" Emma said upon taking a bite. Seriously, this was the best French toast she'd ever had! All creamy and sweet and fluffy with some salty crispiness from the perfectly fried bacon. Yes, Regina was indeed a "hawk" in the kitchen as her father put it.

"I'm glad you like it," Regina smiled and stuffed a cracker into her mouth. There was that look of playful innocence again. That look Emma so loved. That look that made her want to leap from her chair and kiss Regina. She probably would have if her parents hadn't been here. And if it hadn't been for the vibrating phone Regina wrestled out of her pocket with the words: "sorry about that".

Emma frowned softly as she watched the lines appear on Regina's forehead when she looked at the phone screen. "Is everything alright?" she asked softly.

"_Sí_," Regina said, adopting an easy smile as she looked up. "Everything's fine. It's just my mother. It was only a matter of time before she figured out that I'm not in Madrid anymore. But it's fine. I can call her later."

"Okay," Emma said lightly. Her parents didn't comment on it. They just continued to eat their French toast and Emma flashed Regina a little smile.

Regina returned the smile. A smile which clearly signalized that everything was fine. And even though Emma didn't think highly of Regina's mother, she was very willing to believe that everything was fine. In fact everything seemed pretty perfect right now. She reached across the table and took Regina's hand, gave a little squeeze.

Regina returned the squeeze and then laughed as she encouraged Emma to eat her French toast "before it turned cold". Emma suffocated a smile. Sometimes Regina sounded like a thirty five year old woman. Way more mature than Emma was...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Esa se siente bien= that feels good.

Serás la muerte de mí, mi amor= You'll be the death of me, my love.

Estoy cachonda= I'm horny.

¿Por favor?= Please?

Por favor tócame y hazme el amor, Emma= Please touch me and make love to me, Emma.

¡Oh dios, fóllame!= Oh god, fuck me!

¡Usted me está matando!= You are killing me!


	22. Chapter 22

"Do you wanna go out tonight?" Emma asked and smiled as she glanced at Regina. "Ruby just texted me. She and Belle are heading over to the Rabbit Hole later, and I figured it could be fun for you to get the chance to dance a little. We could celebrate your first week here."

"_Sí_," Regina smiled. "That sounds fun. It's been too long since I last danced."

"Great. It's a date then."

In the plushy armchair, Emma's mother looked up at smiled. They were currently hanging out in the living room. Emma nonchalantly sprawled in the other armchair, and Regina in the couch with her feet propped up on some pillows. That had been Mary Margaret's doing. She had stated that Regina had been on her feet for most of the morning and should relax a little. She had fussed over her "daughter-in-law" and had provided her with pillows and stuff. Emma found it to be absolutely adorable. Her mom was positively fawning over Regina.

Regina herself had seemed surprised, shocked even, and that had made Emma pissed because it was so obvious that Regina definitely not was used to be treated with such kindness from a mother figure.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and Emma had just provided a cup of hot chocolate for her girlfriend. And her mom. Hanging out in Emma's room seemed like such a silly teenage thing to do. There was no need for that at all. They were all adults here, and besides, Emma wanted Regina to bond with her mother. So far, her plan was succeeding. This was the end of Regina's first week in the Swan-house, and she and Mary Margaret were already completely chummy. More than that. Regina had completely won Mary Margaret's heart. It was a match made in heaven. Mary Margaret adored Regina, and judging by the way Regina's eyes were shining, the feeling was mutual. Mary Margaret was doting on Regina. Asking her if she felt okay, if she'd had enough to eat, if she needed rest. She never mentioned Regina's pregnancy with a word. She just made a point of ensuring that Regina was comfortable at any time. Emma could tell that Regina was genuinely touched by Mary Margaret's attention and didn't find it to be pushy or anything, and Emma silently confirmed a theory. That Regina needed some good ol' fashion lovin' from a mother figure. And Emma's mom was definitely a mother figure if there had ever been one. Mary Margaret had a big, warm heart overflowing with maternal love, and Emma was pretty sure that there never would be any conflict between her and Regina. The perfect mother-in-law/daughter-in-law- relationship.

"What are you grinning at?" Regina interrupted Emma's train of thoughts and took a sip of her cocoa.

"Nothing. You comfortable?"

"Very," Regina chuckled. "I don't think it's possible to be more comfortable than I am right now. Now for the big questions..."

"Yeah?" Emma asked and felt a hint of concern. Regina sounded positively serious.

"What should I wear tonight?" Regina continued, still deeply serious.

Mary Margaret chuckled.

"Oh," Emma said. "Jeez, for a second I thought something major was going on." she rolled her eyes.

"Something major IS going on, _querida_. I don't know what to wear."

Now Emma was the one to chuckle, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed how her mom beamed. She always seemed to do that whenever Regina was calling Emma "_Querida_".

"The dress you're wearing right now looks very nice," Emma said and took a second to admire the purple dress Regina was wearing.

"No, no, no, it's too casual for going out."

"Okay. How about the grey one you wore yesterday? That looked nice too."

Regina huffed slightly and completely ignored the way her cellphone buzzed on the table. "I wore that yesterday, _querida_. I can't wear that one tonight as well."

"Why can't you-"

"Em-ma..."

"Okay, okay," Emma laughed. "I'm not a very good help, am I?"

"No, you really aren't," Regina teased and laughed as she got up from the couch. But the moment she was standing on her feet, she wasn't laughing anymore. Instead she made a bit of a face and mumbled "_ay, dios mio_."

Emma was on her feet so fast she almost stumbled. "What's wrong?" she asked quickly. "What's with the face?"

"Just a bit of round ligament pain," Regina said lightly. "Nothing to worry about."

"Uhh, I always worry when you make a face."

Regina laughed, completely ignoring her phone when it buzzed again. Emma didn't ask any questions. She already knew who was calling Regina. Or, trying to at least. "I'll try not to make any faces then." she straightened her posture. "And now I think I'll head upstairs and search my suitcase for something appropriate to wear for tonight." she elegantly sauntered towards the stairs but turned her head and said over her shoulder: "and don't touch my cocoa while I'm gone."

"I wasn't gonna," Emma protested.

Another pearly laugh. A: "I wouldn't put it past you, _querida_.", and then Regina disappeared up the stairs. Emma watched her walk away and the moment she was out of earshot, the blonde wondered out loud: "what can you do about round ligament pain?"

"She has to avoid sudden movements such as standing up too quickly, flexing and bending her hips before she coughs, sneezes or laughs to avoid pulling at the ligaments, and she can try taking a warm bath or apply a heating pad," Emma's mother quickly summarized. "But she has to be careful, though. Too much heat can damage the baby."

"Okay," Emma said slightly surprised. "Wow. You're a goldmine, mom."

Mary Margaret squinted slightly behind the glasses she recently had acquired and even more recently had started to wear. She had been stubborn about not wanting to wear glasses, but in the end, she had caved and accepted that it was better for her eyes to wear glasses. "I do hope you're not being sarcastic," she said, squinting at Emma again. "I really don't want to overstep..."

"You're not. And I honestly wasn't being sarcastic, mom. I think Regina would appreciate some tips."

"Good, because I have plenty," her mom chuckled. "I struggled so much with round ligament pain when I was expecting you."

"You did?" Emma asked. "I didn't even know that."

"Your father doted on me at every given moment," her mom dreamily continued. "Much like you're doting on Regina these days."

Emma squirmed a bit. "I'm not that bad. Am I?"

"You are, honey. And it's absolutely a joy to watch." Now her mom was beaming.

"Mom." Emma said flatly and rolled her eyes in mock sarcasm. Then they both laughed.

The staircase creaked a little, and a moment later, Regina was standing in the living room again. "I found a dress for tonight," she announced triumphantly as she plopped down on the couch again.

"You did? Which one?" Emma asked curiously.

"You'll find out tonight," Regina teased and then began to circle her growing belly with the tip of her middle finger. She did that a lot when she was relaxing, Emma had noticed. But it didn't seem like Regina herself had noticed it. It was just a thing she did without thinking about it. Like wrapping strands of hair around her fingers or something. Emma wasn't sure how much meaning to put into the little gesture. If she even should be putting meaning into the gesture. It didn't necessarily have to mean anything. It could just be a random little thing.

"That is not fair," she said, remembering that Regina had just teased her.

Regina snickered lightly as she reached for her cup of cocoa and took a sip. "You'll have to contain your curiosity until tonight."

"What's the plan for tonight anyway?" Emma's mother asked curiously and looked at Emma.

Emma shrugged lightly. "I'm not sure we have any plans. Just some dancing-" she shot Regina a fond look. "And some cream sodas."

Regina snickered. "That sounds like the perfect night."

"Very," Mary Margaret agreed with a smile. "I'll leave the key in the plant pot."

"Thanks," Emma grinned. "We shall we quiet as mice."

"I'm so looking forward to dancing again!" Regina repeated, and her eyes sparkled at the mere thought.

"Did you bring your dancing shoes?" Emma joked.

"I did actually," Regina said unbothered by the teasing. "And I'm planning on wearing them tonight. I won't stop wearing them until I can't possibly squeeze my feet inside them." she frowned slightly. "I'm not sure when my feet will swell, but..."

"It'll typically start between week 22 and week 27 of the pregnancy," Emma's mom said. She clearly couldn't keep quiet when it came to this particular subject, but Regina didn't seem annoyed by it. If anything, she seemed interested as she turned her head, leaned forward and said: "really? I didn't know that. If and when my feet starts to swell, will there be any risks connected to wearing high heels?"

"Well, there's the risk of falling," Mary Margaret said seriously. "I stopped wearing high heels all together when I reached the point where I couldn't see my feet anymore. Just to be on the safe side."

"That does sound very sensible," Regina nodded. "So, I should ditch the high heels soon, _sí_?"

"It might be a good idea to switch to wearing flatter shoes," Mary Margaret said kindly. "You strain your muscles more when wearing high heels, and that can add to the round ligament pain you've been feeling."

"Oh," Regina said, nodding again. "That does actually make sense. Thank you for the tip."

"You don't have to thank me at all, dear," Mary Margaret beamed. "I'm happy to help, and if you have any questions about... well, anything, really, you can just ask me."

"Thank you so much," Regina said, and now she was beaming again.

"You are most welcome, Regina," Emma's mother replied, and Emma saw a shadow flicker past her eyes for a second. She knew exactly what her mom was thinking right now. That Regina was standing alone with this. That she was all on her own and didn't have anyone to ask pregnancy related questions. That she had to keep it a secret because of her mother. Mary Margaret had been something close to enraged. At least as enraged as she could become. Emma had heard her use the word "scandalous" about Regina's situation several times. Not that Regina was scandalous, god no, but the older woman had cursed Robin within an inch of his life and growled that he had been despicable to both Regina and his wife. And then she had said that it was "high time" that someone took properly care of Regina. And that's exactly what she had done. She had really taken Regina under her wing and made sure that she felt nothing but welcome. It was the same with Emma's father. He too had fallen head over heels for Regina's sweet way of being, and Emma found it to be so adorable.

"You haven't seen the photo album yet!" Emma's mom exclaimed and got up from the couch. "That was what I've been wanting to show you all week! Now I remember!"

"Mom..." Emma said warningly. She knew for a fact that the family album only contained pictures of her in various states of baby, toddler, kid and awkward teenage years. "I'm sure Regina doesn't wanna see that."

"Oh, but I do!" Regina said eagerly and flashed Emma a big grin. "Of course I do!"

"Wonderful!" Mary Margaret quickly went to fetch the photo album and Emma groaned again. "This is gonna be terrible!"

"No, it won't," Regina scoffed. "I bet you were such a cute baby!"

"I wasn't."

"Nonsense. Of course you were. Positively adorable."

Emma just moaned in response when her mom came trotting back to the couch with the velvet photo album wedged under her arm. She put the album on the table and opened it. Emma couldn't help but notice that her mom tactfully skipped a few pages in the album and thereby avoided showing Regina the pictures taken in the hospital where the blonde was nothing but a tiny bundle in Mary Margaret's arms. Emma found that to be incredibly thoughtful, and she flashed her mom a smile despite the awkwardness.

"Awww," Regina cooed upon seeing the pictures of a one year old Emma Swan with tiny blonde locks arranged in pigtails. "Look at those cheeks!"

Emma groaned. "And that's exactly why the album should stay on the shelf."

"_Te ven tan linda!_" Regina continued and smiled widely.

"Oh god!" Emma hissed when she was confronted with the picture of herself with a flowerpot on her head for some reason. Seriously, why hadn't anyone stopped her?

"And here's Emma on Christmas Eve," her mom happily continued. "Look, she's trying to eat the Christmas tree!"

"I have the strongest urge to go jump from a bridge real quickly," Emma mumbled.

"Then I'll have to jump after you and save you," Regina said without looking up from the album.

Now it was Emma's turn to fawn quietly. Maybe she could survive seeing Regina looking through the old album. Admittedly, witnessing Regina looking at the pictures of her four year old self was pretty bad, but what the hell.

"Baby Swan," Regina cooed and flashed Emma a huge grin. "With pigtails and all."

Emma shrugged a little but still smiled back.

That evening, Emma was in her room trying her best to tame her wild mane of blonde hair while Regina was changing clothes in the bathroom. Emma cursed a bit over her hair. The shower she'd taken earlier had made it become all frizzy and weird, and the result was that she was struggling to make it do anything right now. She had had plans about letting it hang loose down her back, but she couldn't do that tonight. It was simply too frizzy. For the millionth time, Emma considered to snip the damn mane off and get a bob haircut instead. But then again, she would probably regret it the moment she did it. She had a love/hate relationship with her hair at best, and tonight she definitely hated every part of her normally so complying hair.

"Fuck this," she muttered and felt a sudden urge to throw the hairbrush at the mirror. She did look pretty sharp tonight with her eyes tightly lined and plenty of mascara and pale pink lipstick. And her clothes weren't that bad either. A tight, red tanktop, a pair of black skinny jeans, ankle boots and black blazer that matched the color of her jeans perfectly. The only problem was her hair, which looked absolutely fucking terrible. Emma gathered that she would have to use plenty of hairspray and then tie it back into a tight, slick ponytail. Like when she was at working as a wedding photographer. Boring much?

The door to the bedroom opened, and Emma momentarily forgot all about her hair when Regina came into the bedroom. She was wearing a white dress with blue polka dots all over. The dress had little cap sleeves and a big, blue bow just below the chest. The skirt was nice and flowy and went all the way down to her pretty ankles, whereas the bodice was a bit more tightfitting. A little bit of cleavage on display, and the bow sitting just below the chest accentuated her growing bump in the cutest and most tasteful way possible. Emma's theory had been absolutely correct. Regina pregnant was an unbelievably cute and beautiful sight. Regina's hair was hanging in loose curls down her back, and she had fastened a blue flower in the dark locks.

"Aaaaww," Emma said and smiled goofily. "You look absolutely fantastic!"

"You think so? It's not too much?"

"No, I don't think so," Emma smiled. "You look awesome. Comfortable in your own skin."

"Well, hearing your mom talk about it in such a normal way made me realize that I should probably just flaunt it instead of hiding it," Regina said lightly and rubbed a palm over her growing belly.

"It suits you," Emma assured and grinned when she looked down at Regina's feet. "And so does the heels, beautiful girl."

"Thank you," Regina said, snickering lightly. "I'm taking advantage of my still tiny feet."

"As you should," Emma said, eying Regina's baby bump. It seemed even more pronounced when she wore this dress, and Emma found that she was incredibly tempted to go over there and rub it. She wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was just some strange thing that happened when you were near a pregnant woman or something like that.

"You look beautiful too, _querida_," Regina said admiringly and smiled as she looked at Emma. "I like your... everything."

Emma chuckled. "I like your everything too, babe. But as you can see, my hair is completely refusing to do what it's supposed to do!"

"It is?" Regina said, tilting her head as though trying to see what the problem was.

"Yes!" Emma said firmly. "It's completely frizzy!"

"Curly," Regina corrected. "Your hair is curly, _mi amor_. Not frizzy."

"It's not like _yours_," Emma said stubbornly and looked at Regina's hair. "Your hair always looks awesome!" it really did. And especially tonight where Regina had undone her braid and allowed to curl as it wanted. But for some reason, her curls looked completely professional. Really, Regina looked like someone who had just stepped out of a fashion magazine with her cute dress, perfect hair and beautiful makeup. Emma especially had a weakness for the dark red lipstick and darker eye makeup Regina was wearing tonight. It reminded Emma of her "flamenco"-look. Tonight, Regina was combining sweet and sexy, and the effect was absolutely marvelous.

"Anyway," Emma continued, snapping out of her haze. "I need to do something about this frizzy mess."

"Can I help?" Regina asked sweetly.

Emma quirked up an eyebrow. "You wanna help me with my hair?"

"_Sí_!" Regina said eagerly. "I love your hair. Any excuse to have my hands in it."

Emma cackled upon remembering how Regina had had her hands in her hair last night.

"I can hear you think," Regina complained, and her cheeks pinked slightly. "Stop thinking so loudly!"

"Hardly my fault your mind is in the gutter, _mi belleza_."

Regina ignored that and queried: "so, can I help you with your hair?"

"Yeah. You can help me with my hair," Emma chuckled. How could she possibly say no that sweet, eager face in front of her?

"_¡Espléndida!_" Regina said eagerly and grinned. "Sit down. On the bed. Now!"

"Soooo close to the perfect sentence," Emma teased as she obediently sat down on the bed.

"Who's in the gutter now?" Regina mock scowled as she opened a drawer in Emma's vanity and found the little box containing all of Emma's hairpins and rubber bands and scrunchies, etc.

"Me," Emma said rather shamelessly and grinned.

"_Todo en lo que piensas es en sexo_," Regina said, clicking her tongue as she came over to the bed with the box and Emma's hairbrush in her hand.

"What does that mean?" Emma immediately asked. "I know the word 'sexo'. That's something about sex, right?"

"You'll never find out," Regina chuckled, teasing as she climbed up on the bed and shifted to sit behind Emma. "Now sit still and relax while I brush your hair, yes?"

"You are so unfair," Emma grumbled.

"Oh yes," Regina said simply and began to brush out Emma's hair.

The prickling sensation in her scalp as Regina gently brushed her hair immediately made Emma relax. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of pure enjoyment. Regina definitely had a particular way of brushing her hair. She applied just the right amount of pressure to make Emma's scalp tingle, and she was bound to have some sort of special technique that made her able to not pull on Emma's hair at all. The tangles in Emma's hair seemed invisible now. Emma wasn't quite sure how she was doing it, but either way...

"How can _this_ make me hot?" Emma wondered out loud. Yeah, she had recognized the way her body had started to hum and murmur when Regina brushed her hair.

Regina chuckled. "How indeed? Maybe you just really like having your hair brushed?"

"Yes, I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it's you brushing my hair," Emma said flatly.

Regina chuckled again. "I _am_ pretty skilled with my hands."

"Right. And that's exactly the kind of stuff that makes me wanna postpone our night out and stay in instead..."

"Not when your parents are home, _querida_," Regina said firmly. "I'm actually trying to be a good girl..."

"You need to stop calling yourself a 'good girl'," Emma groaned.

"Or what? _¿Me vas a castigar?_"

"That's not fair. You know I don't know what that means. But judging by your tone, I can sense that you just said something terribly scandalous to me..."

"I did," Regina laughed and glided her fingers through Emma's hair, and Emma had to sigh again. Her hair felt unbelievably soft now. Like water. And having Regina running her fingers through it didn't help much either...

"How do you want your hair tonight, _querida_?" Regina inquired. "Any particular style in mind? Pigtails, perhaps?"

"Ha-ha-ha. Hella funny," Emma scowled. "No, in all seriousness, my go to method when it's like this is lots of hairspray and a ponytail, but-"

"Hairspray?" Regina interrupted, and Emma could practically hear her scowl. "No-no-no-no, let's not abuse your hair like that, _mi amor_."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that," Emma chuckled. She was well aware that her go-to method with lots and lots of hairspray wasn't the healthiest.

"Hmm," Regina said and played around with Emma's hair for a moment. Bundling it up on top of her head, pushing it back over her shoulders, gathering it in a low ponytail before wrapping a few strands around her fingers. "How does a side fishtail braid sound?"

"Complicated," Emma chuckled. "Definitely not something I'd be able to do myself, but if you wanna give it a shot, by all means go ahead."

"I rather think I will," Regina said. She quickly brushed Emma's hair again before gathering it and pulling it to one side. She hummed a little to herself as she divided it into two sections. The humming continued as she began the intrigant and complicated braid.

"Where did you learn to braid like that?" Emma inquired. She had seen Regina donning a variety of different braids. French braids. Fishtail braids. Braids that had been rolled into a bun. Dutch braid. Reverse braid. And some sort of twisty braid Emma hadn't been able to identify.

"My mother," Regina said. "She used to force me to sit down every morning so she could "sort out my hair" as she put it."

"That doesn't sound very nice."

"It wasn't. She could be pretty rough when she brushed my hair. She said that it was because my hair was so full of tangles."

Emma growled lowly. She did _not_ like the sound of that at all!

"I learned to do my own hair pretty quickly," Regina continued. "To avoid her pulling and tugging at my hair. But she always stayed in my room to make sure I did it the right way. She didn't want me to look like a "slob" as she put it."

"How old were you?"

"I'm not sure. Seven, maybe eight. She also liked to decide what I should wear. I wore lots of frilly dresses until I turned thirteen and refused to play her games anymore."

"Jesus."

"That was just how she did things," Regina said lightly. "She wanted me to look like her, I guess."

"That's crazy!"

"Maybe," Regina agreed and added another little section of hair to the braid. "But she didn't teach me how to make this braid, however. My father did."

"He did?"

"Oh yes. When I turned four and started to become interested, he went out and bought a big ol' book on how to do all sorts of braids. Having him do my hair was a rarity because of Mother, but I love it whenever he did my hair. He never pulled on my hair."

"No, I can't imagine him doing that," Emma said gently. "I'm glad you had him."

"Me, too."

"Have you, uhh... Did your mom stop calling you?" Emma asked. Regina's phone had buzzed regularly throughout the week. Regina had said almost in a cheery voice that her mother was trying to reach her. The buzzing had stopped at one point and then started again sometime later. Regina had rolled her eyes and quietly called her mother very persistent. Emma nor her parents hadn't commented on it, but Mary Margaret had looked rather furious. She had already developed somewhat of a dislike for the infamous Cora Mills.

"_Sí_, I send her a text a little earlier and explained to her that I'm busy." Regina said lightly. "She doesn't even know that I'm in the States, so I'm guessing she hasn't been talking to my dad at all. Anyway, I haven't heard from her since. Let's hope that's a permanent thing."

"Yeah," Emma said simply.

"But I did hear from my dad too. He said that he hopes we're having a good time. _Dios mio_, sometimes I can't believe how different he is from my mother."

Emma spontaneously reached back and patted her hand. "I hope you sent him my love."

"Of course I did," Regina assured, bowed her head and planted a very quick kiss on the side of Emma's neck. "There we go! All done, _señorita_." She elegantly hopped off the bed and grabbed Emma's little mirror so the blonde could see the result for herself.

"Oh wow," Emma said, smiling as she inspected the very professional fishtail braid Regina had made. "That looks amazing!"

"_Sí_, you totally owe me a cream soda," Regina chuckled as she smoothened a hand over the bottom of her dress. "Now, are you ready to go?"

"I am," Emma said and climbed off the bed as well. She walked over to Regina and put her hands on the brunette's hips. "Have I mentioned that you look absolutely amazing tonight?"

"You have," Regina smirked. One of her hands came up to play with the lapels of Emma's blazer. "And so do you, _querida_. I quite fancy you in blazers."

"You do, do you?" Emma gave Regina's hips a little squeeze.

"Mmmm. You look so... mature."

"And that's good?"

"_Sí, querida._ It's very sexy."

Emma sighed and squeezed Regina's hips again. "You need to stop saying the word "sexy". It drives me insane!"

Regina elegantly wiggled out of Emma's grasp. Took a step back and teasingly looked her up and down. "You look pretty sane to me, _querida_."

"You are such a little minx. I'd kiss you, but I'm afraid it would mess up your lipstick."

"And we obviously can't have that." Regina chuckled as she grabbed Emma's hand. "Come on, we're gonna be late if we don't hurry!"

Regina's prediction turned out to be absolutely correct. They actually were a few minutes late. Mostly because Emma's mom had spent several minutes on complimenting Emma's hairdo. Another point for Regina. Another point that she was the best daughter-in-law in the world. Emma had found it to be exceptionally cute. Regina clearly couldn't do anything wrong in Mary Margaret's eyes.

Belle and Ruby were waiting for them inside the bar, and Emma laughed as Regina scolded when they headed inside.

"I don't think they'll kill us for being a little late, honey," Emma said lightly.

Regina scoffed and muttered something about being rude.

"Hey!" Ruby called and smiled when she spotted Emma and Regina.

"_Hola_. Sorry we're late," Regina said and smiled at both her and Belle. "Emma had a hair crisis."

"Hey!" Emma protested and almost gave Regina a nudge but decided against it when Regina smiled so sweetly up at her.

"I don't see any hair crisis," Belle said, inspecting Emma's neat braid. "That style suits you very well, Emma."

"It's Regina's doing," Emma said immediately. "Turns out she's quite the hair artist."

"I can see that," Ruby said, smiling as she inspected Emma's hair. She looked at Regina. "Any chance you wanna do my hair too?"

"Sure," Regina chuckled. "Anytime."

Belle shook her head and smiled. "Come on. Let's find a table."

They didn't exactly find a table. But they did find four available barstools. Once seated, Belle started to compliment Regina's dress, and Emma felt all kinds of weak when she saw Regina blush and thank Belle for the compliment. Regina was too cute for words.

"So, what are we having tonight?" Ruby asked briskly. "Em?"

"Hmm, I think I'll have some water," Emma said airily.

Regina looked at her and frowned. "Why on earth would you want water? Are you trying to show solidarity because I can't drink?"

Emma made a half-hearted sound. That was actually exactly what she was trying to do.

Regina chuckled. "For gods sake, _querida_, order yourself a drink. To hell with solidarity!"

"Okay," Emma laughed. "I'll do that."

"Atta girl. I think _I'll_ be having some water then," Regina said lightly and snickered. "It's a little strange to know that I'm not even old enough to drink here, even if I wasn't- oh well."

"We'll throw you one hell of a part when you turn twenty one!" Ruby promised. "Won't we, Emma?"

"The biggest part everrr," Emma assured.

"That does sound like fun," Regina grinned. "I'll be looking forward to that."

Their little conversation was interrupted when Keith Nottingham, the bartender came over to them. "Sorry about the waiting, ladies," he said in his usual too slick manner. "What can I get for you?"

Ruby didn't bother with sophisticated drink names and ordered herself one large beer. Belle showed a bit more distinction and ordered herself a Cosmopolitan.

"Apple cider," Emma said and grinned at Regina. She remembered Regina making her an apple cider when Emma came to see her at the bar that night.

Regina clearly remembered it too. She grinned right back at Emma.

"One beer, one Cosmopolitan and one apple cider," Nottingham summarized, and his smile positively widened when he looked at Regina. "And what can I find for _you_?"

"Water please," Regina said lightly.

Nottingham hovered. "Are you sure? First drink is always on the house for new customers. That's the rule. You can be as adventurous as you want to..."

Emma bit the inside of her cheek hard not to spat something nasty at the bartender. That was bullshit. New customers paid for the drinks exactly like everyone else did. That "rule" was invented by Nottingham right at this moment in an attempt to flirt with Regina, and Emma sort of hated him for doing it.

"Just water, thank you," Regina said. Her voice was a bit firmer now. There was a hint of that "back off"-tone Emma had heard her use with a few customers back at the bar in Madrid. Emma watched Nottingham and Regina look at each other for a moment, and she wondered whether Nottingham could recognize a fellow bartender.

"Alright then. Just water for the lady. Let me know if you change your mind though," he said, flashing her another beaming smile before walking off.

"I doubt that'll happen," Regina said quietly and chuckled to herself.

"Un-fucking-believable," Emma growled. "You've been here for five minutes!"

"I was better at flirting with the customers than he is," Regina said lightly.

"I bet you were," Emma half-groaned. "I bet you were..."

"I'm kidding," Regina said quickly and gave Emma's arm a little squeeze. "I'm just kidding, _querida_. I never flirted that much with the customers. And I certainly haven't for a long, long time."

"Well, good ol' Keith certainly had no problems with flirting with you..."

"Only because I was sitting down and he couldn't see my belly," Regina said grimly.

"That is not-"

"Yes, it is. But right now, I think that's an advantage," she lightly continued and looked around in the bar with curiosity. "This is a great place."

"The best Storybrooke has to offer," Emma quipped. "Not as fancy as Madrid, but-"

"It's nice," Regina said firmly. "I like it."

A few minutes later their drinks arrived, and they toasted and talked and laughed. Until someone turned the volume up on the music playing in the bar. Emma found it annoying until she identified the song as "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira. An oldie, but a goldie. Regina's foot started tapping up and down and Emma chuckled as she asked: "Wanna dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Regina said and practically jumped off her chair and grabbed Emma's hand.

Emma laughed as she willingly let herself being dragged out on the dancefloor. She wanted to dance with Regina. And Ruby and Belle could get a moment to themselves. Emma had seen how Ruby looked at Belle. Who knew, maybe tonight would be the night where Ruby finally plucked up the courage to ask Belle on a date.

Regina set the pace, and Emma did her best to fall into the rhythm with her. Regina was doing a far better job. The way her body moved and twisted when she danced was something that never would cease to amaze Emma. Regina was wearing pretty high heels tonight, but that didn't seem to be a problem at all. She was a hundred percent in control over her feet. She was a fucking work of art when she twirled around with her skirt and hair billowing behind her. Emma had never seen anything more beautiful. And judging by other's reaction, neither had they. Regina was turning quite a few heads tonight. Men and women. Perhaps a tad rude, but then again it wasn't everyday a flamenco dancer came to Storybrooke.

Emma chuckled as she released Regina's hands.

"You don't wanna dance anymore?" Regina half-teased as she effortlessly spun around.

"I can't keep up," Emma said honestly and chuckled again.

"Oh. Want me to stop then?"

"No. Dance as much as you want, beautiful girl."

Regina looked at her over her shoulder and flashed her a cheeky grin. "You asked for it." with that she picked up her skirt and fell into the dance routine Emma had seen her perform a million times. Emma took a step back and left the dancefloor to Regina. She didn't mind it at all. She knew that Regina had missed dancing lately, and this was a perfect opportunity for her to do just that. Emma was perfectly fine with letting Regina do her thing. She smirked a little as she whipped out her phone and snapped a picture or two of Regina dancing. She unfortunately hadn't brough her camera, but oh well.

Regina twirled around again, skirt swishing around her, and Emma swallowed something when she saw how Regina's hips moved. It was possible that it was a bit of a "bastard"-thing to think, but damn, Emma felt like one very lucky bastard! Regina just had this ability to make dancing look sexy. She wasn't a making a point of looking sexy, she was just doing her usual thing. Following the music. Half of the bar was looking at her, and Emma thought to herself that Regina probably made quite a few men "want to speak Spanish". Then she chuckled to herself at her own good/bad joke.

"Damn," Ruby commented from her chair at the bar. "Your girl knows to dance, Swan."

"Why do you think I was stunned the first time I saw her," Emma said plainly and shook her head a little as she looked at Regina dancing. The flowy dress she was wearing tonight wasn't exactly the same as her red flamenco dress with the ruffled skirt, but Emma still got flashbacks of sitting in that bar and witnessing Regina dance for the very first time.

"She looks incredible out there," Belle smiled. "Puts everyone else's dancing skills to shame."

"That she does," Emma laughed. "Definitely."

"If I could dance like that..." Ruby said and sighed slightly. "I mean... damn."

"I know," Emma nodded, shaking her head as Regina spun around again. Her hips wiggled and her feet stomping.

"When you first told us that she was a flamenco dancer, I was skeptical," Ruby admitted. "Sounds terrible, but I was. But now that I've seen her dance... Well, let's just say that I'm not skeptical anymore. At all. She's crazy talented!"

"Make sure you tell her that. She'll be so happy," Emma gushed and then frowned a little. "Especially because her mom keeps bringing her down over it..."

"Because she's dancing?" Belle raised an eyebrow. "Why is she doing that? Why isn't she proud that Regina is so talented?"

"You tell me," Emma shook her head again. But now she smiled when she turned her attention back to Regina who spun around again and made eye contact with Emma. She didn't just have half of the bar with her now. She had everyone. All eyes were on her, and perhaps that should have bothered Emma in some stupid jealousy-way, but it didn't. Regina was having the time of her life and enjoying herself. That was the main thing. Right now, she reminded Emma of the unconcerned girl she had met in Madrid. The girl who's biggest concern was making it to the next dance performance. Regina was a bit different now. Thirteen weeks pregnant and with just a hint of concern in her eyes. Emma was happy to see her acting this unconcerned. Just a twenty year old young woman enjoying herself. Not having to constantly worry about the future. Not thinking about major decisions like pregnancy and adoption. A moment's peace.

_God, she's so beautiful_, Emma thought to herself, taking a sip of her apple cider. It was hard not to admire Regina. Dark locks billowing, eyes sparkling and golden skin flushing just a little. Emma had the strongest urge to swallow hard. She hadn't quite realized how much she had missed seeing Regina dance, and she was only partially distracted by the vibrating sound coming from Regina's purse. Someone was clearly trying to get a hold of Regina. Emma didn't know who, and right now she didn't care much either. Couldn't bring herself to care when Regina was dancing like that. She took another sip of her cider.

When the song ended and Regina concluded the dance with a slight stomp, everyone at the bar actually clapped and whooped. Regina looked slightly surprised but nevertheless did a little mock bow before she came back to her seat and emptied her glass of water in one go.

"Holy crap," Ruby said simply.

"You were amazing," Belle added with a smile.

"Didn't you notice that everyone were looking at you?" Emma half-chuckled and gave Regina's elbow a little squeeze.

"No. I was only looking at you."

"Oh," Emma slipped an arm around Regina. "That's really sweet."

"No, it isn't," Regina scoffed. "Who else would I be looking at?"

"Good point," Emma half-chuckled.

"You are terrible," Ruby said flatly. "Both of you!"

"No, they're not, Rubes. They're adorable," Belle corrected and winked at her brunette friend. "You're just jealous, aren't you?"

"Openly. And mostly at Regina's dancing skills," Ruby replied and took a sip of her beer. "Any chance you'll give me lessons?"

"Anytime," Regina snickered and turned her head and smiled at Emma. "And what about you, _querida_? Do you want dancing lessons too?"

Oh yes, Emma wanted lessons alright. But she wasn't so sure she wanted _dancing_ lessons. There were other things she'd rather do with Regina right now, but she couldn't exactly say that. Because it was horribly inappropriate. And because Regina's phone vibrated in her purse again.

Regina glanced at her purse and raised an eyebrow.

"It did that a moment ago too," Emma told her. "I think someone is trying to reach you."

"Really?" Regina teased as she fished her phone out of her purse. Her frown deepened as she glanced at the screen. "Hmm. This should be interesting."

"Who is it?" Emma asked and mirrored Regina's frown.

Instead of answering her, Regina brought the phone up to her ear and said: "_hola, Madre. __¿Cómo estás?_"

Oh. That was pretty much the only explanation Emma needed. She couldn't exactly hear what Cora Mills said to that, but Regina rolled her eyes, corrected herself: "good evening, Mother. It's late in Spain, I thought you'd be asleep by now. Hmm? What? Yes, Mother I'm in a bar." she rolled her eyes again, and Emma felt tempted to curse "the old dragon" (Regina's nickname for her, not Emma's), it was obvious that Cora Mills didn't have anything positive to say to her daughter this time either.

"You knew I'd be in the US, Mother," Regina said tiredly. "I told you I'd be visiting Emma for a couple of weeks. If you'd talked to daddy once in a while, you would have known."

Emma winced now. She couldn't hear Cora's side of the conversation, but she was pretty sure that the older Mills once again was trying to control her daughter in one way or the other.

"W-what?" Regina said, and suddenly her voice was completely different. Slightly trembling and nervous sounding. Emma saw how her eyes widened, and she mouthed '_what_?'

But Regina didn't react to it. "Y-you what?" she croaked and gone was any trace of playful flirting. "Why would you-" she was interrupted, and Emma could hear Cora say a bunch of stuff quickly, but she couldn't hear what she was saying exactly. Just that she was upset in some way.

"What? Mother, I can't hear you- hello? Hello?" Regina frowned as she moved the phone away from her ear. She muttered something about the connection being sketchy, and Emma could have sworn she saw her finger trembled as she swiped across the screen to end the call. Then she quietly slipped the phone back inside her purse. She rubbed a hand over her face, suddenly looking both years younger and older at the same time. Her face was almost a bit grey. She looked queasy, like she had when battling morning sickness.

"What is it?" Emma asked, already getting angry. "What the fuck just happened?!"

Regina laughed croakily and just a tad hysterically. "What _happened_ is that my Mother and I probably will have a very serious conversation when I come home..."

"Why? What did she say to you? Do I need to come at her?"

Regina laughed again. "Her official story is that she didn't know that I was visiting you, and so she got 'worried' because she hadn't heard from me in a while... So she went to my apartment and coaxed the landlord into unlocking the door."

"You've mean she's been in your apartment?" Emma asked. How utter controlling was that?!

"_Sí_." Regina rubbed her face again. "_Dios mio!_" after a second, she removed her hands from her face and looked at Emma. "Remember the bottle of prenatal vitamins I forgot? The one I left standing on the table because I was in a hurry when I left? She found them. Mother found them..."

**To Be Continued...**


	23. Chapter 23

Emma's throat was as dry as a desert, and her eyes threatened to pop right out of her head as she looked at Regina. "She _what_?!"

Regina said nothing as she looked at her empty glass of water.

"What did..." Emma struggled to get the words out. "What did she _say_?!"

Regina lifted her shoulders once. "That she'd found the prenatal vitamins, that the bottle was half-empty when she lifted it, and that she wanted an explanation "right now, young lady"-" she chuckled humorlessly. "The connection went before I could give her any."

"Oh god!" Emma said.

"Fuck," Regina said without taking her eyes off the empty glass in front of her. "I'm in so much trouble."

"Regina," Emma started, but was interrupted by Regina. "No, _querida_. I _am_. She knows that I'm pregnant, and that sudden knowledge will complicate everything." She shook her head. "_Dios mio_, if she tells my father... that'll be the end of all things."

"It won't!" Emma said firmly and slipped an arm around Regina's shoulders.

Regina just looked at her. Smiled a little as though she was feeling sorry for Emma. "It will. My father and I have no secrets. That was the rule we made after mother's little deception destroyed the family. That we would never keep things from each other. No matter how bad things were, we would always be square about it." she swallowed thickly. "Guess I've ruined that now."

"Honey, no. You haven't ruined _anything_!" Emma tried.

But Regina didn't appear to have heard her. "It's all my fault, really. I should have known that I couldn't keep a thing this big a secret." She laughed bitterly. "As my mother always puts it- if you have said A, you must also say B. I said A that night when I got drunk and did...that with-" she didn't finish the sentence, just waved a hand in the air before continuing: "now I have to say B and face the consequences. Which will be my mother's wrath undoubtedly. God!" she rubbed a hand over her face. "I should have just told my parents when I found out instead of sneaking around like this! I am such a complete and utter idiot!"

"Hey!" Emma protested. "You are NOT an idiot! You handled things in the way you found best. You've done nothing wrong, do you hear me? Nothing."

Regina laughed bitterly again. "Except for bringing shame upon my mother, you mean?"

"This isn't the 1950's," Ruby interjected.

"Maybe not," Regina agreed. "But it might as well have been when you're a Mills woman. Mills women don't put their toes out of line or get "pregnant out of wedlock"." She turned her head and looked at Emma. "Why do you think my mother married my dad? She was pregnant with me. Only reason. I doubt she ever loved him..." trailing off, she rubbed her face tiredly once more. "God, what a mess! At least I'm not in Spain right now. I doubt she'll cool down over the next week, but still, at least she can't come for me that easily when I'm here. That's something." She didn't look like she was close to tears. Just quietly resigned to the fact that she was gonna be in major trouble when she got home. And somehow, that was even worse than if she had been crying. This tired-to-the-bone look on her face made her look both older and younger than she actually was, and Emma could tell that she really was afraid of her mother. Not just she's-gonna-be-so-pissed afraid, but truly, genuinely afraid of her mother. And it broke Emma's heart.

"I'll be right back," Regina said as she elegantly hopped off the barstool. "I just have to go to the restroom real quickly."

Emma doubted she needed the restroom for any other reasons than taking a moment to herself, but this time she let Regina walk. Saw her disappear through a door. Emma was the one to rub her face now. "Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck!"

"Is her mother really that bad?" Belle asked quietly.

"She's worse," Emma said dully. "I met her. She's a real dragon. And she was basically in Regina's face just because Regina defended herself! I can't let her go back to Spain alone! I just can't! I have to... I have to go with her..." she licked her lips and trailed off as she calculated in her head. She wasn't sure she could afford a plane ticket right now. Plane tickets were expensive, and it hadn't been that long since she last bought one. But this was an emergency. If she was going was going to blow up her bank account for this, then so be it! If there was someone, she was willing to blow up her bank account for, it was Regina. In a heartbeat, and without a doubt. She took a large gulp of her drink and choked slightly as the liquid trickled down the wrong tube. She was so angry she could have thrown the glass across the room. Cora Mills certainly was in a league of her own! To imagine that she had just manipulated her way into her daughter's apartment when she wasn't home. That was just... God, what kind of sick and controlling behavior was that even?! Who did that sort of thing?! Regina was twenty years old, for fucks sake. An adult woman with her own life, a job and her own apartment. She didn't need her mother meddling in her life. And yet, that was exactly what Cora Mills had just done. Again. Had she told Regina's father? God, Emma didn't hope so. That would destroy Regina. She was so close with her father. The only reason why she had kept this a secret was because she didn't want to disappoint her parents, and she didn't deserve that the plan had blown up in her face like this.

"Emma," Belle said softly as she put a hand on Emma's arm. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm angry and worried and I wanna throw something," Emma quickly summarized.

"Understandable," Ruby said with a nod. "Your girl sure as hell doesn't deserve this! The way I see it, she's actually handling this pretty damn good. She has a plan for the future, she's chosen awesome parents for the kid. She doesn't need her mother's meddling."

"Thank you!" Emma said earnestly. "Exactly! She IS handling this well, isn't she?"

"Absolutely," Belle said softly. "I think she's being very mature about everything. I'd freak out if I was her, but she's just so... calm. It's impressive."

"I wish everyone could see that," Emma said fiery. "God, I just can't stand that she constantly have things and people against her! First crazy Marian who's basically stalking her and refuses to leave her alone, and now her even crazier mother who will give her hell for this. And for what fucking reason? Regina's an adult woman for fucks sake! It's her life! I just don't-"

"That's quite a bit of steam you're working up for me, _querida_," Regina gently interrupted as she came back to the bar.

Emma stopped ranting. "Sorry. I was just-"

"Don't apologize. It's perfectly fine. It's actually nice that you're getting so angry for me." Regina put a hand over Emma's.

"Do you wanna go back to my place?" Emma asked gently. She would totally understand why Regina would want to cut their night out short.

"No, I'd actually rather want to dance," Regina said almost lightly. "If you want to, that is."

"Always," Emma said immediately, hopping off the barstool and taking Regina's hand. "Come on, you."

Regina flashed a teeny tiny smile as she followed Emma out on the dance floor. The song playing now was slower, and that suited Emma just fine. Regina too seemed very contend with the slow pace. She rested her forehead on the top of Emma's shoulder, and Emma gently pressed a palm against Regina's upper back. She wanted her close. There wasn't much she could say to offer Regina consolation right now. When words failed, she would have to find other ways to ensure Regina that she was there and wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Regina exhaled. "This is nice."

"It is," Emma agreed. Because no matter what, dancing with Regina was nice. Always.

Regina exhaled again, but the sound was a bit more tired now. Resigned. And her voice was flat when she spoke again: "god, my life is so screwed up! How did it even come to this? Why did I get drunk that night?"

"This is not your fault," Emma reminded her. "He lied to you. Told you he was single when he wasn't."

"I flirted with him."

"And so what? Is that a crime now? Flirting when you're out having fun? Everyone does it."

"Not everyone ends up pregnant," Regina said dully.

"He tricked you into sleeping with him," Emma said firmly but quietly. "He told you something that wasn't the truth-"

"And I was dumb enough to fall for it."

"-and he took advantage of the fact that you believed him. End. Of. Story. Stop bashing yourself in the head with this! He is as responsible as you are. Even more because he lied about his marital status! He's a shithead, okay? A complete and utter shithead! Lied to his wife and made you her target, and what's he doing to stop her? Not a fucking shit! As far as I'm concerned, he can go die in a ditch!"

Regina chuckled just a little bit. "Die in a ditch. What a lovely American expression you have there, _querida_."

"Thanks. Glad you like it. And even happier that I made you smile."

"You did. Definitely. You always make me feel less of a mess than I actually am."

"You are not a mess Regina. Far from it. You are someone who's in a bit of a messy situation. But that doesn't make you a mess."

Regina chuckled again. "Your logic is funny, _querida_."

"But also incredibly true."

Regina didn't answer that. She just dropped her head to Emma's shoulder again.

Emma let her hands slide from Regina's back and to her hips. Her fingers touched the side of Regina's growing belly. The touch hadn't been intentional, definitely not, and for a moment she feared that she had just made an enormous blunder all things considered, but Regina's only response was to sigh and say: "if only he or she knew the havoc they're causing..."

Emma made a little hum in reply. She couldn't help but notice how softly Regina spoke whenever she mentioned Blueberry. Tonight was the first time she'd said he or she. Defined the baby as something else than just Blueberry.

"But I guess they don't care," Regina half-chuckled. "As long as he or she is warm and snuggly in there..."

Emma chuckled too now. "That does sound very cozy."

"Free rental for nine months. No charge at all. Pure luxury. Lucky little Blueberry."

Emma's chuckle turned into a laugh as she squeezed Regina a bit tighter. "You are absolutely wonderful. Did you know that?"

"Charmer," Regina accused and lifted her head. Her dark eyes were full of mirth now.

"No idea what you're talking about," Emma claimed.

Regina laughed and looked back at Belle and Ruby over Emma's shoulder. "Do you think your friends think I'm messed up?"

"No. Absolutely not. They might think your mom is messed up, but..."

"That is completely fine," Regina assured, chuckles turning dry now. "That's a pretty good description of my mother. It's strange that she hasn't called me back yet. Maybe she exploded in a cloud of anger. Or maybe she went back to my father's place in a flurry of rage and betrayal to tell him what an awful daughter I truly am or something like that..."

"Or maybe she has decided to be completely mature about it?" Emma suggested hopefully.

"Beautiful scenario, but I doubt it. This is quite literally her worst nightmare come true," Regina said dully. "Working at a bar is bad. Dancing is worse. Not having a "proper education" is a disgrace, but being pregnant out of wedlock? Not even an engagement ring on my finger? That'll be the last straw for her. Whatever she's planning on saying to me, it won't be pretty." She put on a smile. "But anyway, I still have a week here. That's a good thing."

"A very good thing," Emma agreed and gave Regina a little squeeze.

Regina's smile became a bit more genuine. "And we're going to have so much fun, aren't we, _querida_?"

"Definitely!" Emma said warmly. "What do you wanna do tomorrow?"

"I think you promised to show me the beach."

"That's right, I did! It's not warm enough to swim and all that, but it's still very nice. I reckon I could take some great pictures of you."

Regina snickered. "Have you even taken pictures of anything else besides me this past week, _querida_?"

"You are the prettiest motive," Emma said plainly. "Prettiest thing I've ever photographed."

"You're silly."

"About you."

"Stop it," Regina laughed.

"No. No, I don't think I will," Emma smirked. Anything to make sure Regina was laughing. Anything to make sure she didn't got that stressed out look in her eyes. It wasn't fair that new problems presented themselves just as she was starting to kick back and relax a little. Emma had a feeling that Regina only recently was starting to feel comfortable in the pregnancy. Both physically and mentally. And now, because of her mother, she was put under pressure again. It really wasn't fair. Emma held Regina a little tighter. Wished that she could keep her there at all times.

In spite of everything, it actually was quite a nice evening they had together. All four of them toasted to nothing in particular. Emma ordered herself another apple cider. That was the limit. She wasn't planning on getting tipsy or anything. Then they danced again. Emma and Regina. And then after a moment, Ruby and Belle. It was clear that they were trying their best to give off the impression that they were just joking around, but Emma still tilted her head and gave them a second glance. Belle's eyes were shining as did Ruby's. God, those two were smitten with one another! It was so painfully obvious, Emma almost was tempted to laugh.

Regina followed her gaze and chuckled softly. "Your friends are in love with one another."

"Yes. They are. I'm sort of just waiting for them to realize that," Emma said quietly.

Regina chuckled again as she looked at Ruby and Belle. "Looks like you don't have to wait for long, _querida_."

Emma smirked as she agreed with that. Yes, Ruby and Belle looked a little busy gazing each other's eyes. Maybe the dance wasn't such a joke after all.

"I'm getting a bit tired," Regina said almost apologetically. "Damn fatigue."

"That's totally okay," Emma said quickly. "It's been a long day. We did many things." That was true. Before ending up in the living room, they had been out on a walk in Storybrooke. Shopped a bit on Main Street. Regina had checked out the maternity clothes and had even bought herself a new sweater. She had said that she would wear it every time she came to Storybrooke, and Emma had praised the sweater. Regina had looked absolutely adorable in it.

"Second trimester and the energy boost can't come soon enough," Regina joked. "Maybe I will be capable of dancing all night."

"You did do some dancing tonight though," Emma pointed out. "And earned yourself a few admires might I add..."

Regina chuckled. "And did _you_ admire me, _querida?"_

"Of course I did. I always do."

Regina seemed very satisfied with that answer. She smiled up at Emma, tugged teasingly at the lapels of her blazer, and Emma almost called her a little minx. Almost. She pushed a lock of hair behind Regina's ear, asked: "ready to go home?"

"Yeah," Regina admitted a bit sheepishly. "I think I am."

"Then lets do it," Emma said briskly and glanced at Ruby and Belle who were still dancing, and rather closely too. "I don't think those two are gonna miss us, do you?"

"Honestly?" Regina followed Emma's glance. "No, not really."

That turned out to be completely true. Ruby and Belle didn't protest at all when Emma and Regina said their goodbyes. They just first Emma and then Regina goodbye and Ruby instructed them to stop by Granny's tomorrow for free pancakes. And cream sodas. That made Regina laugh, and when she and Emma left the bar, she couldn't stop talking about how nice she found Emma's friends to be.

"Yeah, they're pretty great," Emma smiled. "But I reckon I won't see much of them after tonight." she chuckled. "I mean, the way they looked at each other..."

"_Sí_, they looked quite smitten with one another," Regina nodded.

"They're probably saying the same thing about us, don't you think?" Emma joked, slipping an arm around Regina as they walked don't the pavement. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neal coming out of his father's shop, but Emma did everything she could to ignore him. She didn't care if he was looking at them. Nor did she say anything to Regina about his presence. He could go to hell. Emma had absolutely nothing more to say to that douchebag. Telling Regina would be pointless. She'd had a hard night as it was already. She didn't need to know that Emma's asshole ex was watching them.

"It's strange, though," Regina said after a moment of silence. "That Mother didn't try and reach me again."

"Maybe her battery died?" Emma suggested, trying to be a little goofy about it.

Regina chuckled, bless her. "I suppose that is a possibility, but I don't think I like the silence thing she's doing. I find that to be even more ominous than having her calling and yelling at me. Maybe she wants some big confrontation when I'm coming home or something."

Emma let out a growling sound that seemed to come from the back of her throat. Regina mock shivered and then laughed. "_Querida,_ I can't tell whether that was terrifying or sexy."

"Why not both?" Emma suggested.

Regina nodded and made that adorable tongue between teeth smile. Emma always wanted to kiss her when she did that. And she couldn't resist this time either. She gently halted them, cupped Regina's face and then kissed her. Right in the middle of the street. A nasty little voice in the back of her mind murmured about Neal and how fortunate it would be if he was around to see this. That asshole. Being happy with Regina seemed like the biggest revenge on him.

"You taste of apples," Regina said approvingly and flashed her another smile when they broke apart.

"And that's usually my cue," Emma joked. "Role reversal."

"Sounds interesting," Regina went along on the joke and grinned as they continued towards Emma's parents' place.

Mary Margaret was still up when Emma and Regina came home, and Emma chuckled because it wouldn't matter how old she got. Her mom would always stay up to make sure that she got home alright. Bless her.

"Did you two have a nice evening?" she asked and flashed them a wide smile.

"We sure did," Regina said eagerly before Emma could say anything. She returned the smile Mary Margaret was flashing her. "Didn't we, Emma?"

"We did," Emma confirmed and put on a smile.

Mary Margaret tilted her head, gave Regina that knowing, motherly look Emma had seen a million times. "And you feel quite alright, my dear? You do look a bit pale. You're not feeling dizzy or in pain or anything, are you?"

"No-no, not at all," Regina said and appeared to be swallowing hard. She looked at Emma who gently nodded. Regina could confide in her mom if she needed to. Emma's mom was great to confide in. Always so understanding and sweet. And if there was something Regina needed tonight, it was understanding from a mother figure.

"My mother found out," it bursted out of Regina. She couldn't even keep up the charade for two minutes, and Emma perfectly understood that. It was the Mary Margaret effect. Emma's mother just had one of those friendly, patient faces that made you want to come forward with all your troubles.

"Oh," Mary Margaret said and flashed Regina an understanding smile. "I see."

Regina grew a bit absent as she mumbled something about being silly for keeping it a secret, and Emma was just about to protest and state that Regina had her reasons, but her mom beat her to it. She reached out, patted Regina's hand and said kindly: "you are more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need if you feel like you can't go back right now, Regina. It's not a problem at all. We're only happy to have you here."

"Hear, hear," Emma interjected softly and gave Regina's hand a little squeeze again. "That's very kind of you," Regina said and returned the smile. "But I think it's better that I follow my original plan and go home in a week. I have shifts in the bar, and I have to...take the bull by the horn or whatever it's called."

"I'll go with you," Emma said automatically, and Regina turned her head and quirked an eyebrow at her. "You what?"

"I'll go with you," Emma repeated. "Like hell I'm gonna let you face all that on your own!"

"But you can't," Regina reminded her. It was her turn to squeeze Emma's hand now. "At least not right now. And you shouldn't. You can't be there to hold my hand all the time. I have to take care of things." She took a breath. "And I can handle Mother. I'm used to it." she made a face. "And now I have to use the restroom again. Stupid cream soda!" she flashed Emma and Mary Margaret a smile as she hastily retreated to the guest bathroom in the hallway. That was quicker than going all the way upstairs.

"Goodness me," Mary Margaret said when Regina had disappeared. "She doesn't need those kind of problems right now."

"No, she does not," Emma immediately agreed.

"Poor thing," her mom said sympathetically as she closed her laptop. "It seems like she has a lot on her plate all the time."

"I don't know why the universe or whatever is so fucking hard on her all the time!"

"Emma, your language," her mom admonished and clicked her tongue. "But I meant what I said. If she needs to extend her stay here, she's more than welcome to do so. She's a lovely girl, and I do so dislike the way her eyes flicker when she talks about her mother. She's obviously afraid of her. I know that Regina is an adult-" she folded her hands elegantly. "But I still feel a responsible for her, exactly like I do with you despite the fact that you're an adult, and I certainly wouldn't feel good about sending her back to an unsafe situation."

"I'll go with her," Emma said firmly.

Her mom quirked an eyebrow.

"I'll find a way," Emma added. "I'm not sure how right now, but I will. And I don't care that she doesn't want help. She's getting it whether she wants it or not. There's no way in hell I'm letting her go back to deal with her mom on her own."

"If you need money for a plane ticket, all you have to do is ask for it," her mom said lightly.

"Mom..." Emma said and winced slightly. Borrowing money from her parents had been one of her sore spots for years. Emma had always made a big deal of earning her own money and making a living for herself.

"We can call it a loan," her mom said and rolled her eyes. "Or perhaps I'll just shove the money into your hand when you least expect it. You see, I don't like the idea of Regina going back alone. She's pregnant and vulnerable, and I have a feeling that she might not be that good at taking care of herself all the time. I would feel lots better knowing that you're going with her."

Emma laughed and shook her head. "God, you've really fallen head over heels for her, haven't you?"

"I've never met a nicer young lady than her," Mary Margaret said. "So polite and well-spoken and sweet. Not a bad bone in her body. And she clearly adores you. Of course I like her."

"I have pretty good reason to believe that the feeling is entirely mutual," Emma teased. She knew for a fact that Regina adored Mary Margaret.

Her mother nodded satisfied. "Go with her, honey. Keep taking care of her."

"Is that an order?"

"It is."

"Okay then," Emma grinned.

As on cue, Regina came back from the bathroom. She had clearly splashed cold water onto her face, and Emma wondered whether she had taken the opportunity to have a miniature panic attack. It looked like it. Her cheeks were slightly rosy, and her eyes were a bit glassy. Emma's heart broke a little bit, and she had the strongest urge to murder Cora Mills.

"You tired?" she asked softly.

"Mmm," Regina nodded.

"It is getting late," Mary Margaret chimed in. "I for my part will be going to bed now."

"That sounds like a good idea," Emma said and touched Regina's hand lightly. "You ready to go to bed?"

"_Sí_," Regina said and flashed Mary Margaret a smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Regina, dear. There's crackers in the fridge if you wake up feeling icky," Mary Margaret said. Then she turned to Emma. "Goodnight, honey. Lock the front door before you go upstairs, will you? I'm feeling too old and lazy to go into the hallway now." with that she went up the stairs and disappeared around the corner.

Regina chuckled softly.

"Hilarious," Emma said dryly as she headed into the hallway and locked the front door. Once that was done, she went back to Regina in the kitchen. Slipped an arm around her shoulder and asked: "is there something you want before we go upstairs?"

"No, I don't think so."

"You're not hungry?" Emma pressed. She knew for a fact that Regina tended to get hungry right around this time.

"Maybe a little bit..." Regina admitted and flashed a sheepish smile.

"How about a couple of crackers with vanilla crème to go?" Emma suggested.

Regina scrunched up her nose in a particularly adorable fashion. "And eat them in your bed?"

"Yeah. I mean, I wasn't planning on asking you to eat them sitting on the floor..."

"_Muy divertido, querida. _You'll get crumbs in your bed!"

"I don't care. Small price to pay for your happiness. I don't want you to go to bed hungry," Emma said firmly. She walked over to the cupboard and grabbed the pack of crackers. Her mom owned two packs of crackers: one plain. Those were the ones Regina preferred to eat in the morning. And a pack of crackers filled with vanilla crème. Which all of them had been snacking on until Regina arrived and it became obvious that the vanilla crème crackers so agreed with her stomach. Then they'd stopped eating the crackers. Suddenly there was somebody who needed them more than the Swan family did.

Emma plucked five crackers out of the package and turned to Regina. "You wanna come to bed?"

"_Sí_. Always."

They walked upstairs. Regina made a quick trip to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came back to the bedroom and started to unzip her dress, it was Emma's turn to make a trip to the bathroom. A longer one. To finally get relief from the two apple ciders she had consumed tonight. For some reason they had gone straight to her bladder. She loosened her hair from the fishtail braid and admired the way it curled. She should let Regina do her hair more often.

When she came back to the bedroom, Regina was very much ready for bed. As opposed to Emma, she had braided her hair. She was wearing the familiar pair of little silk shorts and a tanktop. Her face had been wiped free of the makeup she had been wearing tonight, and as Emma looked at Regina's fresh face, she thought to herself that Regina didn't even need any makeup. She looked beautiful just like this. All natural and adorable looking. And she was sitting on the edge of the bed and eating crackers like there was no tomorrow. Looking awfully cute while doing so.

"You look awesome," Emma grinned as she began to strip out of her own clothes.

"Thank you," Regina said between bites of vanilla crackers. She had already consumed three in the time Emma had been gone.

Emma was quick to change out of her clothes and replace it with a blue pajamas. She groaned a bit as she climbed into bed. Impatiently, she propped herself up on one elbow and used her free hand to pat the empty space next to her. "You coming to bed, beautiful girl?"

"When I'm done eating the last cracker."

"Screw that," Emma chuckled. "Come to bed now. I don't care about the crumbs. Come to bed. I miss my little spoon."

"You are so goofy," Regina smirked as she came to lie next to Emma. She too propped herself up on one elbow as she ate the last cracker.

"Taste good?"

"Very," Regina nodded and stuffed the rest of the cracker into her mouth. She carefully chewed and swallowed and then "mm'ed" slightly as she let her head rest on the mattress.

Emma chuckled softly and pulled Regina closer. She let her hands smoothen over Regina's hips, then trace them over Regina's rounded abdomen only to stop and ask: "Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay," Regina half-laughed. "You don't have to ask. You know that."

Emma made a little humming sound and then let her hands rest more properly on Regina's baby bump. "It feels surprisingly tight."

Regina cackled. "I could have thought of something naughty to say there."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha..." Emma traced her fingers over Regina's belly and noticed the goosebumps appearing on Regina's skin where her tanktop had exposed her belly. "Are you sure you don't mind this?"

" _Está bien_," Regina said softly. "It always feels nice when you touch me, Em-ma."

"Good. That's good."

"What do you think is hiding in there anyway?" Regina asked. "Boy or girl?"

"Difficult to say," Emma said a bit cautious because this was something they hadn't talked about before. "Maybe...a boy?"

"You think so? I suppose it could be. I just have a strong hunch it's a girl. I don't know why. But it doesn't matter. Alessandra and Sofía luckily don't have a "preference". As long as the baby is okay. They're planning on painting the nursery yellow. Did I tell you that?"

"No, you haven't told me that. Good color."

"Yes, isn't it? Blueberry will wake up to sunshine every morning," Regina said and frowned slightly. "Last night I dreamt that I was giving birth to a very big blueberry."

"We might have to come up with a different nickname then," Emma said. "Or perhaps you could postpone thinking about the birth? At least for a little while."

"Maybe I could try one of those Lamaze classes."

"That you could. I could go with you."

Regina chuckled softly, but Emma could see that the little wrinkle between her beautiful eyes was back again. They couldn't have that. She lifted a hand and gently used her index finger to smoothen the wrinkle. "What are you thinking about, beautiful girl? Birthing stuff? Because we can totally talk about that if you need to."

"No, I was actually thinking about my mother."

"Oh. Okay?" Emma gently encouraged. "What about her?"

Regina sighed. "I'm just trying to figure out when she and I started to... not get along. Obviously, my relationship with Daniela became the breaking point at the time, but over time I've started to feel like there was more, you know? She wasn't a very warm mother. And the more I think about it, the more I notice that she wasn't very warm with my father either. I don't think I've ever seen her kiss or hug him like you and I do all the time. I've never seen her be loving towards him. He was head over heels for her, but she's just always been...cold. But it's more than that. I don't think I've ever seen her look genuinely happy, you know? I still haven't. And honestly, that confuses me. They're divorcing because she had an affair with one of the waiters. He was fired, which means that he and my mother could be together if they wanted to, but she still doesn't seem happy." Regina chewed on her bottom lip. "My dad was distraught when my mother told him about the affair, but he was willing to forgive her for it."

"Wow," Emma said quietly.

"Yeah," Regina nodded. "She was the one who wanted out of the marriage. But I can't help but think, if she broke up her marriage to be with a man she had fallen in love with, why isn't she happy?"

"That is a good question," Emma said.

Regina pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, shook her head slightly. "I dunno, maybe I'm just overanalyzing because I'm tired, but sometimes it feels like... it feels like she's keeping something." Another headshake. "I'm probably just being silly. Jumping the conclusion. I don't even know her that well. How could I possibly be able to determine whether she's hiding something or not?"

That sounded harsh, hearing Regina openly saying that she didn't knew her own mother that well. Emma pulled her a little closer.

"_Cuidadosa_," Regina admonished with a slight grin. "You'll end up squashing my belly. And it's inhabitant."

"And obviously, we can't have that," Emma laughed and took a major chance as she patted Regina's belly and said: "sorry, Blueberry. Won't happen again."

"I'm sure he or she forgives you," Regina yawned. "Goodnight, _querida_. Let's hope my phone stays silent for the rest of the night."

"I'll throw it out of the window if it doesn't," Emma vowed. And that was how she ensured that Regina went to sleep half-chuckling. An achievement Emma felt immensely proud of. And something she vowed to do again and again. Because of course Regina should go to sleep with a smile on her lips. Emma wouldn't have it any other way...

**To Be Continued...**


	24. Chapter 24

The following morning, Regina called her father. That was literally the first thing she did even before getting out of bed. She told Emma that she had woken up sometime after Emma had gone to sleep and just imagined her mother telling her father about it before Regina could get the chance to do so. She didn't want to tell him about her pregnancy over the phone, but rather that than risking her mother would get there beforehand. She'd rather die than letting her mother deliver this news to her dad. That's what she told Emma when the blonde asked whether she was sure. Emma sat next to her on the bed and held her free hand while Regina dialed her dad's number and brought the phone up to her ear. She looked so nervous. Kept biting and biting her lip, and when Emma told her to stop, she advanced to biting the inside of her cheek and plain ignored when Emma gently asked not to do that either. Emma could feel that Regina's palm was sweaty in her own, and she gave Regina's hand a soft squeeze. A reassurance that everything somehow would be okay. That this storm was one they could weather too. Regina squeezed back but still looked like she was on her way to the guillotine and not calling her father.

After a full minute, Emma could hear Henry answer, and Regina jumped a little. Maybe she had secretly been hoping that her father wouldn't pick up. But he had, and she quickly amended with a sweet: "_hola, papi. __¿Cómo estás?_"

Emma listened as Henry greeted his daughter. He sounded very happy to hear from her. Emma obviously couldn't understand all he said, but she could tell that he was happy. And he asked her how she was doing.

"_Estoy bien_," Regina answered and glanced briefly at Emma. "_Sí. Emma también está bien._"

Emma smiled.

"_De todos modos, ¿has tenido noticias de madre recientemente?_" Regina asked with a voice that trembled just a little bit. Emma didn't understand the full question, but she did understand the word "mamá".

"_¿No?_" Regina said in response to whatever her dad had answered to that question, and then she looked at Emma and shook her head. Moved the phone away from her ear for two seconds to say: "he hasn't talked to Mother for the past week."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. Henry didn't know. Cora hadn't been a complete asshole and told him. Thank god!

"_¿Cómo van las cosas en el restaurante?_" Regina asked in an unnatural high voice, and Emma squeezed her hand again. For two reasons. One: Regina was clearly getting nervous. And two: she was stalling. She had asked Emma to squeeze her hand if she was stalling instead of coming clean and asking about the restaurant had to categorize as stalling.

Regina flashed Emma something that looked like an apologetic look as she continued: "_¿Dónde?_" her dad said something Emma couldn't hear, and Regina's eyes widened in response. "_¿California?_ _¡Eso suena muy interesante!_"

Emma squeezed her hand gently once more. She wasn't trying to be a pain in the butt or anything, but it was Regina herself who had asked her to do it.

"_Ya vuelvo. Dos segundos_," Regina murmured quickly and moved the phone away from her ear. She took a deep breath and looked at Emma. "_Dios mio, _I can't get the words out, Emma! He's so happy and optimistic, and this will just ruin everything! I can't do it!"

"Honey, you have to," Emma said softly and lifted Regina's hand so she could kiss it. "The longer you'll wait, the worse it will be. And you get to tell him yourself. Your mom didn't get there first. This is a good thing."

"He's going to kill me!" Regina whispered and looked like she was on the verge of tears now.

"No," Emma said quickly, squeezing Regina's hand and leaning so she could kiss her cheek. "He won't. He loves you. Adores you. I've seen it myself. He'll be surprised, but he's not gonna kill you. Not literally or metaphorically."

Regina let out a wet chuckle at that.

"You can do this, sweetheart," Emma said encouraged. "And I'll be right here all the time. I promise."

Regina flashed her a trembling smile and then brought the phone up to her ear again. Emma heard her say something that most likely was "sorry about that" in Spanish, and then: "_Papá, hay algo de lo que necesito hablarte_." She waited, and Emma could hear her dad's gentle voice in the background. He still sounded sweet albeit a tad concerned as well.

"_No_," Regina said in response. "_No, no estoy enferma_. _Estoy-_" she swallowed hard and now fresh tears leaked from her eyes again. Her voice was trembling terribly as she finished the sentence: "_estoy embarazada_."

Emma squeezed Regina's hand hard as Regina broke down in tears and said "_Lo siento, lo siento, lo siento!_" into the phone. The blonde couldn't hear Regina's father's response to that, but she knew that she would definitely hit something if he didn't take this well.

"_S-sí_," Regina stuttered. "_Trece semanas._ _Lo siento mucho papá! Lo siento, no te lo dije!_" she sobbed quietly into the phone, and Emma had to swallow hard not to start crying herself. She couldn't stand seeing Regina break down like this. It hurt too goddamn much!

"_Madre se enteró cuando entró en mi departamento_," Regina croaked. "_¿Qué?_ _No, no quiero hablar del padre._"

Emma knew what the word "_padre_" meant. And she knew why Regina's eyes were flickering. She was just about to squeeze Regina's hand again when the sound of Henry yelling into the phone almost made her let go entirely of Regina's hand out of pure shock. Her eyes immediately sought Regina's, but Regina hadn't started crying or apologizing again. Nor had her face contorted in pain because her father was yelling. She was actually...smiling a little bit. Emma was confused until she heard some of the words Henry was shouting into the phone. "_¡Ese bastardo!_", "_¡Mierda!_"

"_¡Voy a matarlo!_" and finally: "_¡Mi pequeña niña!_" and then Emma understood that Henry wasn't cussing Regina out. He was cussing Robin out. For doing this to Regina.

"_Cálmese,_" Regina said, still smiling and switched over to English as she admonished: "remember your blood pressure, daddy!"

Emma could have cried in sheer relief.

"_Si, estoy bién_," Regina continued, and her dark eyes widened in surprise as she continued: "_Mis náuseas matutinas no son tan malas ahora._" Switching to English again she said: "yes. Yes, Emma knows. She has known for a while now. Yes. I'm so sorry I didn't..." another deep breath. "I was scared."

"_Of me_?" Emma heard Henry say in the other end. When Regina gave a half-hearted answer to that, the man sighed deeply and said: "_oh, Reggie._"

Regina chuckled just a little. "That's a terrible pet name, daddy."

"_You don't ever have to be afraid of me, Cielo_," Henry said in the other end, and Emma saw Regina swallow hard once more.

"_Your mother knows?_" he continued.

"_Sí_," Regina confirmed. "She does."

"_Cielo, do you want me to have a chat with her?_"

"No," Regina said quietly. "No, but I'd like to talk to both of you if that's alright."

"_Of course_," Henry said in the other end. "_I will be there, Reggie. I'll come and pick you up in the airport when you get back!_"

"That won't be necessary," Regina smiled and glanced at Emma. "Emma will come home with me. Even though I told her she didn't have to."

"_Emma is a good girl._"

Regina chuckled and gave Emma a little wink. "That she is. Listen, daddy, I better get going now, but I promise I'll explain everything a little better when I get home."

"_I know you will, Cielo. And whatever you need from me, you have it. All you have to do is say the word._"

Regina's eyes turned misty, and Emma smiled, squeezed her hand again.

"If you hear anything from Mother... Just ask her to call me, okay?" Regina continued after composing herself.

"_Of course. After I've instructed her to be nice._"

Regina chuckled dryly. "We both know that's never gonna happen. Bye, daddy."

"_Goodbye, Reggie. Te amo_."

"_Yo también te quiero_," Regina said softly. Then she hung up and flopped back on the bed, exhaling hard as she did so.

Emma chuckled a bit at that. Sometimes Regina was just so... twenty years old. It was so cute!

"He doesn't hate me," Regina whispered.

"Of course he doesn't, beautiful girl. He's your dad," Emma said simply and ran her fingers through Regina's messy "bed-head".

"My mother will though."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Oh but I do," Regina insisted. "The fact that I haven't heard from her since last night means that she's choking on her own anger and waiting for me to come home so she can unleash the beast."

"Regina, I don't think-"

"_Querida_, she once screamed the house down when I was sixteen and came home five minutes too late one night. Within seconds, she had convinced herself that I A: was doing drugs, or B: having sex. I've never done drugs in my life, but I actually was out with Daniela, so-"Regina flushed a little and said something in Spanish.

Emma laughed heartedly and squeezed Regina's knee.

"But you get the point," Regina finished the sentence. "If she can freak out over me being five minutes too late and look like she's about to kick my ass, imagine what she'll do now that she knows that I'm pregnant."

Emma winced. "Please tell me that she's never actually done that."

"Done what?"

"_Kicked your ass_," Emma said and made quotations in the air. "Or been physical in any other way."

"Oh," Regina chuckled. "No, _querida_. My mother isn't the physical type. She prefers tearing you down with words."

Emma growled. "She's not going to do anything. I won't let her. And neither will your dad."

"He's in my corner now," Regina agreed and frowned. "But will he still be that when he finds out that I'm planning on giving up the baby? I couldn't bring myself to tell him about the adoption over the phone. I was afraid he was going to have a heart attack." She ran her fingers through her hair and muttered a little under her breath.

Emma chuckled softly once more at the way Regina was huffing and complaining over her "morning appearance". Which by the way was extremely cute. "I heard the way he cursed at Robin," she said, chuckling again.

"Oh yes," Regina said, looking amused too. Shocking, really. I had no idea my dad could swear like that."

"Robin's got himself a hater," Emma said satisfied, because fuck that guy and his... fuckboyness.

"Dad and I can make a club then," Regina joked.

"The "I hate Robin"-club," Emma went along on the joke. "Can I be a member too?"

"Sure," Regina chuckled, but then grew serious as she skimmed a finger up her growing belly. "I don't hate Blueberry though."

"I know you don't," Emma said a bit surprised as she reached for Regina's ankle and gave it a little squeeze.

"I never have," Regina continued. She was still running her fingertips up and down her growing bump. "It's certainly unplanned and it's taking my life in a completely different direction from what I imagined, but I could never hate him. Or her. I just want what's best for the little berry."

"I know you do, sweetheart," Emma said gently, squeezing Regina's ankle again. "I know you do."

"Sofía and Alessandra will be able to give the baby that," Regina said thoughtfully and then flashed Emma a little smile. "Maybe you'll be able to meet them when you come back to Spain with me. Would you like that?"

"Yeah!" Emma said, returning the smile. "I'd love to! Absolutely!"

"You'll like them," Regina predicted. "They're so sweet, both of them."

"Of course they are. You chose them."

"And that's what I'll tell my dad when we meet him," Regina said firmly. "How nice they are, and how long they've wished to have a baby. I didn't feel like telling him that over the phone, it would have been too much. Telling him about the pregnancy was almost too much. He was so happy and chatty."

"Yeah, I heard him say something about California," Emma nodded.

"What?" Regina frowned a little again. "Oh, that was just my dad talking about maybe expanding the business."

"To California?" Emma asked surprised. She too had actually been thinking quite a bit about California lately.

Regina shrugged. "Who knows. He loves to cook. Why shouldn't he cook for the entire world?" she chuckled. "He's driven. I admire that."

"So are you," Emma said softly.

Regina snorted out a laughter. "Yeah, right. Look at me."

"I AM looking at you, sweetheart."

"Then you should be able to see that I'm not driven at all," Regina said dryly. "I got pregnant by accident and I haven't got a clue as to what I want to do with my life."

"You'll figure it out," Emma said gently and gave Regina's knee another squeeze. "You're only twenty. You've got plenty of time."

"Mmm," Regina said doubtfully. "I suppose so. I have to enroll in college next year. Study something."

"Got any ideas?" Emma asked lightly. "You've talked about acting before."

"But isn't that just a pipe dream?" Regina mused. "Shouldn't I be studying something more sensible? Like business."

"You should study whatever you feel passionate about," Emma said firmly. "And if that's acting, well..."

"I always did love dressing up and playing pretend when I was a kid," Regina half-sighed. "Mother claimed that I was putting on a show, but daddy called me his little star. I'm not sure what's worse..."

Emma chuckled softly. "Honey, if you want to act, that's what you should do. I've seen you on a stage before. I know that dancing isn't completely the same as acting, but it's something along the line, right?"

"_Sí_," Regina nodded. "You are telling a little story when you're dancing, and that is essentially what acting is about. Telling a story."

"Then that's what you should do," Emma said simply.

"Maybe it is," Regina mused and sighed. "But for now I'll have to settle for being pregnant and out of my wits." To soften her words, she flashed Emma a smile. "But hey, at least I have my father in my corner. For now."

"You'll have him in your corner once you tell him about the adoption too," Emma said firmly. That was just how things had to be. She refused to accept any other options.

"We'll see," Regina said and looked a bit absentmindedly at the ceiling. "We shall see..." her voice dwindled, and she slipped into a sort of melancholic silence Emma didn't like one bit. She wiggled closer to the younger brunette and found her hand, gave it a little squeeze. "Hey."

Regina flashed a little smile. "Hi?"

"My parents are going to a meeting at the community center tonight," Emma said briskly and chuckled at Regina's cute rebuttal. "So, I was wondering if I could take you out to dinner?"

"Oh," Regina smiled more genuine now. "That sounds nice, _querida_. Where are we going?"

"I was thinking _Tony's_," Emma replied. "Very cute little Italian place by the marina. The nicest place you can find in Storybrooke. Not sure they have cream soda, but..."

"Shut up," Regina laughed. "I'm not gonna have cream soda. I don't think my stomach likes them anymore."

"No? We'll have to figure out what your new craving is tonight then. Because you DO want to go out with me, right?"

"Of course," Regina chuckled. "I'd love to."

"Awesome," Emma said a bit goofily. "It's a date then."

"It is," Regina confirmed and stretched a bit. Lazily at first, but then she was grimacing slightly.

"What?" Emma asked immediately.

"Nothing."

"Then please stop wincing. I hate when you do that."

"I wasn't wincing," Regina claimed as she grabbed her phone.

Emma saw her open google, but she had to stretch her neck to see what Regina was typing. Which turned into being "round ligament pain relief". Emma felt utterly betrayed as she watched Regina scroll through the different options. "Not wincing, huh, beautiful girl?" she said and gave Regina's knee another squeeze.

"Stop peeking," Regina scowled, and her cheeks pinked a little.

"Why not simply tell me the truth instead of lying?" Emma was scowling too. But only jokingly. Her hand never left Regina's knee.

"Because not everything should be about me," Regina said plainly.

Emma practically snorted at that. "Yeah, right. Think again." she sat up in bed so she could see the phone in Regina's hand. "Let's see... stretching exercises, prenatal yoga, resting, heating pad and a warm bath. That warm bath could potentially happen tonight. We've got a tub."

Regina chuckled warmly.

"One question though..." Emma said mock seriously. "Can I join in on that bath?"

"Of course," Regina laughed. "You don't have to ask."

"Done deal," Emma said briskly and leaned in further so she could rest her head on Regina's shoulder. "Let's see, what else is there? Hmm. Maternity belt?"

Regina made a face.

"Okay, no maternity belt them. Hmm, what else? Oooh! Massage! That sounds nice!" Emma said excitedly and teasingly plucked the phone out of Regina's hand. "1: put a little bit of natural/unscented oil or lotion on your belly," she read aloud. "2: the round ligament is located about an inch or two on either side of your belly button. Move your fingers up, so they're right underneath your ribcage and stroke down to your pubic bone. 3: stroke firmly yet comfortably up and down that track for about fifteen minutes. 4: repeat steps on other side." She looked back up at Regina. "That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"

"Mmm, it does," Regina agreed with a slight chuckle.

"We should try it tonight."

"We?"

"Yeah. We," Emma said, grin spreading across her face. "I wanna help with easing the pain. Can I? Please?"

Regina laughed now. "You can. Any excuse to touch me, huh?"

"Yep. Any excuse to touch you." Emma dipped down and kissed Regina's warm cheek. She couldn't deny that she did so want to touch Regina. They hadn't been intimate since that night a week ago. They had been on their best behavior while Emma's parents were in the house, but tonight they wouldn't be. First the meeting at the community hall and then coffee with Ruby's grandmother. Those coffee sessions often dragged out, so Emma knew for a fact that her parents would be home late. Which gave her and Regina good opportunity to... well, do things. She was just about to scandalously tell Regina about some of those things but was distracted from doing so when her cellphone chimed once. Emma groaned a bit when scrambling to grab it from the bedside table. But she immediately stopped groaning upon reading the text message from Ruby. She had only written two words. But two very, very important and anticipated words. '**We kissed!**'.

"Ha!" Emma said triumphantly. "About fucking time too!"

"What is?" Regina asked a bit slurred. Maybe she had been on the verge of drifting back to sleep.

"Ruby and Belle. I think they're officially a thing now!" Emma was almost cackling now, and even more so when she a second later received a text from Belle saying: '_So, something happened between Ruby and I last night..._'

"Ha!" Emma said again, lifting a fist and shaking it in the air. "Oh, they're together! A hundred percent! In fact I think they're together right now!"

Regina chuckled. "Well, they do make for a cute couple."

"Like you and me," Emma said as she texted Belle back with an '_**I knew it!**_' followed by an abundance of smileys. "We make a pretty cute couple too."

"Yes, we do," Regina agreed, and the bed dipped a little as she shifted slightly.

For a moment, Emma was entirely too busy texting her friends and congratulating them on their newfound love. And of course she couldn't resist to tease them and say that this had been the longest buildup ever. Ruby basically told her to fuck off, but Belle texted back that she had been so unsure of how Ruby felt about her. It had only been last night she finally felt completely sure and dared doing something about her growing feelings. Because to Emma's surprise and delight, Belle was the one who had initiated the kiss. It had happened not too long after Emma and Regina had left the Rabbit Hole, the librarian told Emma, and Emma was beyond happy for her friends. She couldn't wait to get all the details later, but for now she settled for wishing her friends a nice day (they could take that however they wanted) and then put the phone back on the nightstand. She turned her attention to Regina who had sat up in bed, and Emma smiled a little. Watching Regina come into a sitting position was fascinating. When she was lying flat, it was practically impossible to see anything, but when she was sitting up, it was easy to spot the growing baby bump. Regina was a right little chameleon these days. Emma told her that, and Regina laughed loudly upon hearing the reason as to why she was a chameleon.

"The chameleon will disappear though, _querida_," she said as she patted her belly lightly. "It'll only get worse."

"You look so cute," Emma said, and even though the comment had come completely spontaneously, she really did mean it. Regina looked _exceptionally_ cute in the tanktop she'd stolen from Emma. That was her preferred sleepwear, and Emma felt ridiculously proud because of it. She really did love the fact that Regina was sleeping in her clothes. But it also made her feel a little possessive over Regina. Woops.

"How about when I'll be as big as a whale then?" Regina joked and patted her belly again. "Will I look cute by then?"

"Absolutely," Emma said and chuckled as she spontaneously reached out and patted Regina's little rounded belly. Ten seconds later she realized what she had done and felt unsure whether she should let her hand drop or not.

But Regina just laughed. "Imagine when it'll start kicking about and rolling around in there. That's gonna feel real strange!"

"I may have to feel your belly again when that happens," Emma warned, smiling softly. "Can I? I've never felt a baby kick before."

"Me neither," Regina joked. "It'll be a first for both of us. And of course you can feel."

"Sweet!"

Regina chuckled at Emma's exclamation but then sniffed in.

"What?" Emma laughed. "You pretending to be a dog or something?"

"No," Regina scoffed. "But I can smell bacon."

Emma sniffed into the air, and now she could smell it too. "Mmmm!"

"I think your mom might be making breakfast," Regina predicted.

Emma snickered. "I swear, she's only doing it because you're here."

"That's not true."

"It is. She adores you and wants to pamper you all the time," Emma said simply, getting out of bed and grabbing her terrycloth bathrobe. She gallantly handed the robe to Regina and found a pair of sweatpants in the closet for herself. Now they were ready to head downstairs and have breakfast...

That same evening, Emma and Regina went out for dinner at Tony's. Best little place on the harbor. Regina looked mouthwateringly beautiful in a red dress with bateau neckline and long sleeves. Her long dark hair had been "tamed", pulled back into a sleek bun which was held together by one of her signature red roses. She was wearing golden hoop earrings, and Emma thought to herself that Regina never had looked more Spanish than she did tonight. Which definitely wasn't a bad thing at all.

"You're gorgeous," Emma said as they sat down at the instructed window table. "And I'm underdressed."

"You are not," Regina insisted. "You look beautiful!"

Emma scoffed a little as she glanced down at her slacks-and-blouse attire. She could have gone a little more out there. Maybe worn a dress. She always wanted to look her best for Regina. To make Regina feel proud.

"You do!" Regina insisted. "You're perfect."

Emma smiled now. "And you look out of this world. Mom was basically fawning over you before we left!" that was true. Emma's mom had clapped her hands and then rushed off to find her photo. She had insisted upon snapping a picture of Emma and Regina like they were a couple of teenagers on their way to prom, and not two adult women going out on a date. Emma had rolled her eyes, but she had let it slide because her mom had been an absolute gem the entire day. She had started the morning with loading a ton of bacon onto Regina's plate, be sweet and concerned as she asked how Regina was feeling and whether she had heard back from her mother. Regina truthfully told that she hadn't. That this was Cora's modus operandi. Go silent while "charging" for a bit "hissy fit". Mary Margaret had looked mighty concerned, and to make up for that, Regina had moved along and told that she had told her father the truth. And that he had taken it exceptionally well. And supported her.

Mary Margaret had looked exceptionally relieved and had patted Regina's cheek. And while the two of them bonded over bacon and tea, David had pulled Emma aside and more or less shoved some money into her hand. When Emma asked what he was doing, he had just shrugged and said that it was "for the plane ticket". When Emma had started doing her usual thing where she tried to refuse accepting money from her parents, her dad had come up with many a creative way she could pay them back. Mowing the lawn had been his favorite suggestion. Washing the windows had been another favorite, and as he kept rambling off more and ridiculous suggestions, Emma had laughed and thanked him.

"Don't," her dad had said and shrugged lightly. "Of course you're going home with Regina and staying for a little while." Then he'd patted her cheek as though she was five years old again, and Emma had thought to herself that her parents were pretty awesome.

It didn't take long before a waiter arrived, and they could order. Emma wanted spaghetti carbonara, and Regina ended up settling for pizza. "I think I'm craving cheese," she said when the waiter had left.

Emma chuckled warmly and reached out so she could take Regina's hand. "Good thing you're having pizza. Should I stock up on mozzarella or something then?"

Regina laughed. "Let's hope it won't come to that." She gave Emma's hand a little squeeze.

"And if it does, I'm completely zen with buying a bag of pizza cheese for you."

Regina spluttered now. "_Querida,_ that's a terrible thought! Eating cheese straight from the bag!"

"I never said you should do that," Emma remarked with a grin. "_You_ said that."

The younger brunette wrinkled her nose. "It won't come to that. "_¡Definitivamente no!_"

Emma tapped her palm slightly. "Speaking Spanish in an Italian restaurant? You little rebel."

"You like when I'm being a rebel," Regina said in that ridiculously-sexy-yet-totally-sweet manner.

"Yeah, you got that right," Emma snickered.

Regina leaned forward and murmured boldly: "then I'm sure you'll absolutely _love_ how much of a rebel I'm gonna be later." As she spoke, she oh-so-innocently ran the heel on her shoe up Emma's shin.

Emma fake coughed and tried not to show how affected she got by Regina's flirting, but Regina, the little minx just kept sitting there and smiling sweetly all the while she continued to run the heel of her shoe over Emma's shin.

"Regina," Emma wared.

"Yes, Em-ma, _querida_?"

"Oh, I am SO gonna get you for this!" Emma managed to get out between her gritted teeth.

Regina laughed and her voice was still soft and angelic as she said: "oh yeah?"

"Yep," Emma said plainly.

"What are you gonna do then?" Regina challenged quietly. There wasn't anyone else in the restaurant, but still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Keep testing me with that foot of yours and you'll find out!" Emma growled.

"_¿Me vas a azotar?_" Regina asked completely innocently, and never had the Spanish language annoyed Emma more than it did right now! Fuck, it was inconvenient that she didn't know what that meant. Judging by Regina's tone, Emma could easily tell that it was something scandalously raunchy, but she didn't know exactly what. And she wasn't sure she would be able to coax it out of Regina later. Regina liked to tease her by not telling what something meant even when Emma begged her to tell her.

As on cue, Regina chuckled innocently, and Emma wished she could comment on it. But that was impossible when the waiter showed up with their drinks. Water with ice for both of them. But apart from being annoyed, Emma was also delighted at the way Regina was coming onto her tonight. She had missed flirting like this like they had done in Spain. It had been quite impossible to flirt while Emma's parents were present, but tonight... tonight they could flirt as much as they wanted to, and Emma was fucking thrilled about it!

She and Regina toasted. To love and to life, and admittedly, to Regina's cleavage in that dress, and Regina laughed so much she nearly choked. Emma offered to come over there and perform the Heimlich method on her, but that only caused the brunette to laugh even more. Emma laughed too. She could sense that tonight was shaping up to be a wonderful night. At least that was what she was thinking until the door opened and Robert and Milah Gold stepped inside the restaurant.

"Urgh," Emma groaned quietly.

"What?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow.

"My ex mother and father-in-law just walked in here," Emma murmured.

"Oh," Regina said, frown deepening slightly.

"It's okay," Emma said quickly, flashing Regina a smile and patting her hand. "We'll just pretend that they're not here, yeah?"

"We can," Regina nodded. "If you're okay with that."

"I am. A hundred percent. Cheers, beautiful girl!"

"Cheers, _querida_,"

They toasted again, but as much as Emma tried, it was quite impossible for her to ignore the way Milah Gold kept stealing glances at her and sneering. Emma felt very, very tempted to turn her head and sneer right back at the horrid woman she'd once tried to accept as her mother-in-law, but she resisted temptation and instead muttered to herself: "one of the reasons that makes you wanna leave town."

"Leave town?" Regina echoed, eyebrows rising higher still, and Emma realized that she had just said it out loud.

"Yeah, I mean..." she back-pedaled. "Sometimes it's just...tempting, you know?"

Regina looked right through the lie. "'Sometimes'?" she prompted.

"Okay, maybe more than sometimes," Emma admitted. "Maybe I've...given it some thought."

"Given what some thought, _querida_? Leaving?"

"Yeah," Emma said meekly and wondered how the hell they had ended up talking about this. "I mean... sometimes I'm just... picturing a fresh start. Somewhere else. Not that I don't love Storybrooke, I really, really do, but I've lived here all my life, and for the longest time I imagined myself living a white picket fence life with..." she didn't finish the sentence and settled for waving a hand instead. "Anyway, that has changed, and I feel like I could do great somewhere else. New horizons to photograph. New places to see. I could delve a little more into landscape photographing. I've always wanted to do that. And I could open my own studio too. Still do portraits and pets and whatever to make a living and then better myself at landscape photographing on the side."

Regina flashed her a smile. "_Querida_, this is more than just giving it some thought. This is basically a whole future planned."

Emma settled for flashing her a bit of a sheepish smile.

"But I think I understand what you're saying," Regina continued after having taken a sip of her water. "Where would you like to go then?"

"Spain?"

"Funny."

"Madrid. Puerta Del Sol."

"_Querida_."

"Okay, okay," Emma half-laughed. "I've actually been thinking about California. I could use some sunshine. As you've might have noticed, there isn't a whole lot of that here." she sighed quietly. "But it always comes down to my parents. What would they say if I told them that I wanna leave Storybrooke? They're so used to having me here..."

"But it's your life, _querida_," Regina reminded her. "You have to do what feels right for _you._"

"God, you're so grown up," Emma laughed. "I swear, sometimes you're thirty five!"

Regina rolled her eyes and quickly became twenty years old again.

"But I suppose I will have to tell them," Emma amended. "It's been niggling in the back of my head for a while now-"

"You didn't tell me."

"I'm telling you now," the blonde winked cheekily at her girlfriend before going serious again: "and the more I walk around in Storybrooke every day and realize how quiet it truly is here, the more I want to spread my wings. However cliché that sounds."

"It doesn't sound like a cliché at all. I get it."

"Maybe it's the trips to Spain," Emma mused. She lowered her voice as she continued: "when I was engaged to Neal, my life didn't revolve around anything else. I wanted to marry him. I wanted a big, ol' wedding with cake and a lavish gown and all that jazz. And after that I wanted a nice, white picket fence life with him here."

"There's nothing wrong with white picket fence lives."

"True. But it has to be with the right person," Emma smiled. "And you have to be in love with the person you're going to have that white picket fence life with. I wasn't. I was more in love with the idea of having that kind of life. Finally having a ring on my finger and be "Mrs. Cassidy-Gold"." She sneered. "I think I was so ecstatic that Neal finally had stopped stalling and actually proposed to me that I forgot the actual reason why people get married. My solo honeymoon was an eye opener. I finally realized that getting married wasn't all there is to life. Why want a white picket fence life when I could run around in Spain with my camera?" she winked. "And fall in love with cute flamenco dancers instead..."

Regina smirked a little. "Glad I could broaden your horizon."

"Glad I was single when I came to Madrid," Emma said plainly and raised her glass. "Cheers, beautiful girl."

"Cheers. To new horizons," Regina smiled as she lifted her own glass.

"Oh yeah," Emma said. "And hey, if I do decide to move to Cali, there's a fair chance you won't get a cold shock when you come to visit me!"

Regina laughed again. "Very clever, Em-ma. Very clever indeed."

The dinner was delicious. Never had Emma seen anyone be as happy about pizza than Regina was when she took the first bite. Emma leaned in and told her it was quite sexy, and Regina blushed and looked like she was about to choke, so Emma laughed, patted her hand, instructed her to enjoy the food. Without choking, please!

Emma enjoyed her food too. But she enjoyed Regina's glorious company even more. They shared many laughs as they talked about the first time Emma had come to the bar where Regina had danced. Emma praised Regina's "mad flirting skills". "The way you danced around me," she said and shook her head. "I could have swooned right then and there!"

"I wanted to get your attention," Regina said simply and flashed a flirting smile.

"And you got it. Still have it."

"Good," Regina chuckled. "That's the way I prefer it."

It definitely was the way Emma preferred it too, and after having dissected whether Regina had made a point of dancing sexier for her sake or not, they went on to talking about Ruby and Belle. Whom Emma hadn't heard from since this morning. She found that to be both mildly disturbing and hilarious.

"Young love," Regina quipped as she took another bite of the pizza.

"I feel like I've been going grey just from waiting for them to get their heads out-"

Regina cleared her throat.

"To get their shit together," Emma amended with a grin. "Seriously, they've been pining for each other for god knows how long!"

"I could tell when I met them," Regina chuckled. "It was very obvious."

"I am so gonna tell them that!"

Regina laughed, and as they munched their way through the rest of the meal, they kept a flirty banter going. Often accompanied by Regina's foot brushing against Emma's leg under the table, and Emma was pretty sure that this was something close to the perfect night. And- she grinned to herself- it would only get better when they got home later tonight. When they ended up in the bedroom and she could unzip Regina's pretty red dress and kiss every inch of her beautiful, golden skin.

"You're flushing," Regina noted as she took a sip of her water. "Are your hormones wonky too?"

"How dare you," Emma mock sneered, and Regina laughed as she rose from her seat, announcing that she needed the ladies room and would be right back.

Emma did nothing to hide that she was watching Regina walk away. God, that woman had the most magnificent ass ever! No doubt about it. Once Regina had disappeared and there was nothing else, she could admire, she glanced at Regina's empty plate. A grin spread on her face as she hatched a sneaky plan. It was only five minutes since a waiter had passed their table, carrying a tray with two slices of cheesecake for another couple. Regina had looked up. Glanced longingly at the slice of cheesecake, but she hadn't said anything. She didn't have to. Emma knew what she was thinking. And right now, Emma was thinking that she wanted to spoil her girlfriend with a piece of cake. She briskly rose from her seat and walked towards the counter to order, but as she passed Robert and Milah's table on the way, she could clearly see Robert look at her. Not even remotely discreet. But Emma didn't care. She calmly turned her head and looked right back at him. And kept looking until he wisely looked the other way. Smilingly, Emma continued up to the desk. She was better at playing that game than he was. She ordered a piece of the delicious cheesecake for Regina and grinned upon imagining how happy and surprised Regina would be when she came back to the table and found the cake waiting for her.

With that taken care of, Emma returned to the table and took the opportunity to check her phone. Still nothing from Ruby or Belle. Emma grinned a bit to herself. She would have a damn party teasing them about the day they went "offline" for an entire day. This was too funny. And amazing. She was so happy for her friends. Ruby had been sweet on Belle for something that felt like a hundred years, and Belle had been looking at Ruby for a long while too. Now they were finally together. Emma grinned again.

The timing couldn't have been better. Just as Regina came back from the bathroom, the waiter arrived with her piece of cheesecake. Regina's dark eyes gleamed as she eyed the piece of cake. "Cheesecake! You shouldn't have, _querida!_"

"Yes, I should," Emma said and frowned softly. Regina definitely looked happy about the cake, but she also looked a bit sheepish. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Regina shrugged. "I just ran into your ex-mother-in-law in the ladies' room."

Emma growled. Why hadn't she noticed that Milah was missing from the table?! "Did she say anything to you?! What did she do?!"

Regina shrugged a little again. "Nothing much. Lingered a bit too long to get a good look at me. And then she congratulated me on the pregnancy and asked me how far along I was."

"She did not!" knowing Milah, that was a direct attack. Emma knew her ex-mother-in-law's modus operandi. Milah's oh-so-sweet and innocent questions were only the beginning of a more serious attack, and Emma was having none of it.

Regina shrugged slightly. "It was a little uncomfortable, I'll admit that. At least the way she stared at my belly was."

"I'm going to kill her," Emma said simply.

"Don't," Regina said as she dug into the cheesecake. "I can't afford to bail you out of jail."

Emma laughter was distracted when she spotted Milah coming out from the ladies' room. "I'll be right back," she told Regina as she got up from her seat and walked over to Milah.

"Emma," Milah said with faux sweetness as she looked at the blonde. "How nice to-"

"Don't," Emma interrupted and felt steely and determined as never before as she looked at her former mother-in-law. "Don't ask her questions. Don't talk to her. Don't even _LOOK _at her. Not now, not ever. Got it?"

"I really don't know what you're-"

"_YES_, you do," Emma interrupted. "I know exactly what you're doing or trying to do, Milah, so don't even bother." She spun around on her heel, prepared to get back to Regina, but at the last minute she turned around again and looked directly at Milah. "I've already smacked your son for being the worst person on planet earth. Trust me when I say that I have absolutely nothing against doing the same to you. Is that clear?"

Milah said nothing. She just sneered and her mouth became a thin line on her face. But Emma was quite satisfied with herself and grinned as she walked back to the table and sat down once more. Her satisfaction only heightened when Robert and Milah shortly after left the restaurant without even looking at the couple.

"_Estoy tan atraída por ti en este momento_," Regina said and didn't even have eyes for the piece of cake in front of her.

"Huh?" Emma frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I find you to be dreadfully attractive when you tell people off. Which I probably shouldn't." Regina swallowed. "But you're incredibly sexy when you go off defending my honor like that.

Emma smirked. "Incredibly sexy, huh?" the roles switched as she was the one to run the heel of her shoe over Regina's shin. The effect was so much better because Regina happened to have bare legs.

And Regina's reaction was quite memorable too. She jumped a little, flushed crimson and then cleared her throat.

Emma leaned back on her chair and licked her lips. "How fast can you eat that cake without jeopardizing your health?"

"Pretty fast," Regina said, and then she went to work and began to eat her piece of cheesecake in top speed. Emma wasn't the only one who was eager to get home. The blonde HAD planned on asking Regina to go for a scroll on the marina, but that clearly wasn't happening now. There were other and more important things she'd rather do with Regina. And walking was not one of them.

Regina said very little as she scarfed down the piece of cheesecake. Her cheeks were still flushed, but whether it was from eating or from thinking about what would happen when they got home, Emma wasn't sure of. Maybe it was a combination of both. Maybe Regina was in the middle of having a teeny tiny foodgasm. She definitely had been very happy about the food all night. Her dark eyes had shone, and her cheeks had been flushing. Once or twice, Emma was certain she had seen Regina bite her lip. She chuckled warmly.

Regina paused mid-bite and looked self-consciously up at Emma. "What?"

"You're cute when you're eager," Emma murmured.

Regina flushed again, and Emma had to physically stop herself from not leaning across the table and kissing Regina fiercely right here in the restaurant.

Regina cleared her throat. "You want a piece?"

"Nice of you to offer, but I don't think you actually want to give me one," Emma laughed. "Have your cake, honey. It's for you. But please hurry at least a little, okay?"

Despite her still pink cheeks, Regina smirked slightly. Then she ate another piece of the cheesecake. The tip of her tongue came out to lick a crumb away from the corner of her mouth, and Emma bit back a groan. Regina might as well have lit her on fire right then and there. Damn little minx. She would so pay for this later.

Regina chuckled in a way that suggested she could read Emma's mind.

Later, a good while later when they were both naked as jaybirds under the covers and Regina's right thigh was lazily draped over Emma's hip, Emma finally felt as though she could breathe again. She sighed contentedly and skimmed a finger down Regina's sweaty back. Then she chuckled quietly. Regina's hair was no longer sleek and smooth but wild and bushy. Her makeup had gone a little south, but she was still absolutely breathtaking. Emma moved her hand away from Regina's back and to her hip. Tapped that sexy little crown tattoo. Regina "mmm'ed" and surprised Emma. She had assumed that Regina was still basking in the afterglow. But maybe she was. They could bask together.

"That was really nice," Emma rumbled. Now her fingertip was following the crown on Regina's hip.

Regina squirmed under the attention. Maybe that distraction was what prompted her to ask: "but?"

"No buts," Emma assured, grinning as she moved her hand from Regina's hip and to her ass. "Except for this one maybe..."

Regina squirmed again, but this time definitely not because she was being tickled. "You spanked me," she remembered and giggled.

"Yeah," Emma said a bit sheepishly. "Spur of the moment kind of thing. Did it hurt?"

"Yes," Regina replied, still giggling. "But it was also nice."

"Nice, you say?"

"Very, very nice," Regina assured and pecked Emma's jaw. "I enjoyed it immensely..."

"Yeah, I could kinda tell by your reaction," Emma teased and gave Regina's ass a little squeeze.

"You've probably left a handprint there," Regina said and tried her best to scowl, but the effect was completely lost because of the way she kept giggling.

"Probably," Emma said rather satisfied and gave Regina's rear a half-hard squeeze and then the lightest little smack.

Regina chuckled warmly as she adjusted a little, and Emma for some reason felt completely gooey when she felt Regina's little baby bump against her skin. She wondered what it would be like to lie entangled like this when Blueberry moved around inside Regina. For some reason, that made her feel completely gooey as well.

Regina sighed. "We have to do this more often."

"Oh yeah, totally," Emma agreed and smirked as she looked at the floor. "Your dress is getting crumbled.

"I don't care," Regina said plainly.

Nor did Emma. It hadn't taken long after they came home before they found themselves in the bedroom, tearing off each other's clothes, completely lost in the throes of passion. Emma had more or less ripped Regina's dress off, and the sight of her standing there in her black lace underwear had ignited a fire within her. It was at that time she had ended up spanking Regina while Regina was on top of her and they were kissing passionately. Regina had been surprised, but definitely not unhappy about Emma's spontaneity. In fact she had asked Emma to do it again. Which Emma obviously had. She prided herself in being a good and attentive girlfriend who always answered Regina's every beck and call. No matter what that was...

"I love you," she said spontaneously.

"I love you too," Regina said delighted and then made a face as she adjusted again and attempted to pull her thigh off of Emma. "I'm sticky."

"You're delicious," Emma smirked. Oh yes, she had no problem with feeling Regina's warm center against her skin. "And you're about to be even stickier."

"I am?" Regina frowned.

"Oh yeah. I owe you a massage, remember?" Emma said briskly and wiggled so she could open her bedside drawer and roam through it until she found what she was looking for. The little bottle of oil.

"You don't have to," Regina said quickly. "I'm not in pain or anything."

"And I don't want you to be either. Maybe it'll work as a precaution or something," Emma grinned as she uncapped the bottle and squeezed some of the oil into her hand. Then she shifted so she was sitting up between Regina's legs. "Ready?"

Regina groaned. "Why do I have a feeling that this will do more than just relieve round ligament pains?"

Emma laughed shamelessly as she began her massage. It didn't take long before Regina's suspicion came true. Relieving round ligament pain WAS a surprisingly erotic experience, and Emma saw no reason to stop after Regina's first orgasm...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

hola, papi. ¿Cómo estás?= Hello, daddy. How are you?

Estoy bien= I'm fine.

Sí. Emma también está bien= Yes. Emma's fine too.

De todos modos, ¿has tenido noticias de madre recientemente?= Anyway, have you heard from mother recently?

¿Cómo van las cosas en el restaurante?= How are things going in the restaurant?

¿Dónde?= Where?

¿California? ¡Eso suena muy interesante!= California? That sounds very interesting!

Ya vuelvo. Dos segundos= I'll be right back. Two seconds.

Papá, hay algo de lo que necesito hablarte= Dad, there's something I need to talk to you about.

No, no estoy enferma. Estoy-= No, no, I'm not sick. I'm-

Estoy embarazada= I'm pregnant.

Trece semanas. Lo siento mucho papá! Lo siento, no te lo dije!= Thirteen weeks. I'm so sorry dad! Sorry, I didn't tell you!

Madre se enteró cuando entró en mi departamento= Mother found out when she came into my apartment.

¿Qué? No, no quiero hablar del padre= What? No, I don't want to talk about the father

¡Ese bastardo!= That bastard!

¡Mierda!= Shit!

¡Voy a matarlo!= I'm going to kill him!

¡Mi pequeña niña!= My little girl!

Cálmese= Calm down.

Si, estoy bién= Yes, I'm fine.

Mis náuseas matutinas no son tan malas ahora= My morning sickness isn't so bad now.

Cielo= Sky.

¡Definitivamente no!= Definitely not!

¿Me vas a azotar?= Are you going to spank me?


	25. Chapter 25

"_Mi amor_? Could you help me with this?"

Emma smiled as she turned around to come to Regina's aid. "Sure thing, honey. What do you need me to do?"

"Sip my suitcase," Regina grunted. "It refuse to do my bidding!"

"Rude," Emma teased as she crouched down in front of Regina's suitcase which was lying on the bed. She grabbed the zipper and it was her turn to grunt as she did her utmost to zip the damn thing. "Fuck your suitcase!" she said strained.

Regina chuckled. "Yeah, that's the conclusion I reached too."

"Try and sit on it," Emma said and looked back at Regina who was standing next to her. "Sometimes the extra weight forces the zipper to-"

"'Extra weight'?" Regina echoed and raised an eyebrow. "Be careful now, _querida_."

"Jesus! I was _not_ implying that you're heavy or anything, I was just-"

Regina interrupted her by laughing heartedly. "I know. I was just teasing."

"You little minx. I am so gonna get you for that," Emma vowed. "But first, sit on the suitcase, please."

"As you wish," Regina joked as she elegantly climbed up on the bed and then on the suitcase. She chuckled and joked about how comfortable it was, and Emma smirked as she agreed with that. "Very comfortable indeed." Regina was wearing a skirt today, bless her, and from her kneeling position on the floor, Emma could pretty much look up her skirt and get an eyeful of Regina's delightful, red lace panties. Not bad. Not bad at all. Emma could think of several comments to make about Regina's underwear. Like... how much she loved when Regina was wearing red. And lace. And she could think of some things she'd like to do as well. Like... run her fingers up Regina's delightfully long and golden leg for instance. Yes. That would be really nice. Emma imagined how Regina would start to squirm and laugh and make some joke about Emma's clever, clever hands.

Yes, there were many things Emma could have done in this particular situation. There were many things she wanted to do. And helping with zipping Regina's suitcase was probably one of the last things on her mind right now. Which was extremely scandalizing, because that was what she was supposed to do. Zip Regina's suitcase. Be sensible. To sensible things. Get the last things ready for their trip back to Spain. She was definitely not supposed to think about Regina's underwear. Or sex. Nope. She most certainly was not supposed to think about sex on this extremely busy morning. Not even the littlest bit. And she did try to tell herself to stop being a horny bastard. She told herself to concentrate on the task at hand. Zipping Regina's suitcase. But oh god, it was just so fucking difficult when Regina's panties were literally staring her in the-

"Hey!" Regina protested when she realized exactly what Emma was looking at. "You're here to help me, Em-ma, not look at my knickers!"

Emma laughed as she resumed the zipper challenge. "'Knickers'? what, are you British all the sudden, beautiful girl?"

"Shut up," Regina mock-snapped. "Help me!"

"Okay, okay," Emma laughed and gave the zipper a good yank. "Here we go..." she pulled and tugged and cursed like a sailor while doing so. For a moment it felt like the zipper wouldn't budge anytime soon, but then she gave it another firm yank, and suddenly, the damn thing cooperated with her. The suitcase was jerked forward with the result that the sudden motion sent Regina tumbling backwards off the suitcase and onto the bed in a mess of flowery skirt, long tanned legs and exposed red "knickers".

But "perving" on Regina's underwear was pretty much the last thing on Emma's mind right now. "Oh, fuck!" she yelped, immediately ready to be alarmed but what had just happened. "Are you alright?!" she shoved the suitcase aside, so it landed on the floor and found a laughing Regina laying on the bed.

"_Sí, _I'm fine," Regina assured amusedly as she smoothened her skirt back down where it belonged. "No reason to look so worried, _querida_."

"Yeah, sorry, but I'm really not a fan of seeing my pregnant girlfriend fall," Emma retorted and grabbed Regina's hand so she could help her into a sitting position.

Regina let out a dry chuckle. "You managed to make that sound perfectly normal and idyllic."

"What?" Emma asked as she gave Regina a one over just to make sure that she hadn't hurt herself when falling off the suitcase.

"'Pregnant girlfriend'," Regina echoed and wrinkled her nose in an almost thoughtful manner.

"Oh. Well..." Emma slipped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze. "You _are_ my girlfriend, and you _are_ pregnant. Putting those two together makes you my pregnant girlfriend, so I didn't say anything wrong."

Regina flashed a little smile and ran two fingers over her growing belly. It didn't look like she was even thinking about the action, but Emma had picked up on it, and she knew that Regina often did it when she was either relaxed or concerned, and judging by the wrinkle between her eyes, Emma would say that the second option was the case here. She gave Regina another little squeeze. "Penny for your thoughts, honey?"

"I don't want to go home," Regina said simply and glared at her suitcase now laying abandoned on the floor. "I've had such a wonderful time here!

"It's been awesome having you," Emma said, squeezing her girlfriend again.

"I wish I could stay for a little longer," Regina mumbled. "Maybe I'm being insanely cowardly, but I'm not in the mood to go home and deal with everything, meaning my mother. Not right now. Why can't I just..." she nudged her cheek against Emma's shoulder. "Stay in a bubble with you?"

"You're not being a coward at all," Emma said gently. "I like the bubble too. But hey, I'm going back to Spain with you. The bubble won't burst right now."

"It will when my mother shows up," Regina said bitterly. "She'll create a huge scene. God!" with a groan she let herself fall backwards onto the bed.

"It's going to be okay," Emma soothed and immediately felt foolish for even trying.

Regina chuckled grimly. "It's going to be uncomfortable." She chuckled humorlessly again. "And I thought that being given the sex talk was as uncomfortable as it could ever get. Turns out I was wrong. Oh well, at least it's too late for the sex talk now."

Emma let out a tiny chuckle. "Well, the sex talk IS pretty uncomfortable."

This time, Regina sounded a bit more amused as she laughed. "Try receiving the sex talk from Cora Mills. I was eleven and terrified and she made it sound like some sort of wildly complicated operation which was excruciatingly painful for the woman. And she kept referring to it as "the act". Which should solely be happening between a man and woman. To make babies. When they were married, obviously. Everything else was dirty and wrong."

Emma grabbled to find a part of Regina she could squeeze for comfort, and that part just so happened to be her thigh. "I'm sorry."

"I'm pretty sure she's more sorry," Regina said darkly. "Because here I am, pregnant at twenty and without a ring on my finger. She'll undoubtedly think that I failed at listening to all her good advises."

Emma squeezed her thigh again.

"But hey, I did do something right," Regina continued, chuckling dryly again. "I made a baby."

"I'll wring her neck if she makes you upset!" Emma growled.

Regina sat up in bed with a slight groan and flashed Emma a little grin. "As sexy as you are when you're angry, _querida_, that part is unavoidable. She _will_ make me upset. And I'll make her upset. Words will be exchanged, and it won't be pretty. Are you _sure_ you want to be there for it?"

"Yes!" Emma said immediately. "I don't care how much of a showdown it's gonna be, I said I would stick by you, and that's what I'm gonna do. No matter what. You're my girlfriend and I wanna take care of you."

"You're so sweet," Regina said softly, smiling at her. "Showdown aside, I'm looking forward to spending some time with you in Spain."

"Me, too," Emma beamed. "I'm looking forward to eating churros for breakfast again! And waking up to the sound of that busy street right outside. I'm looking forward to opening your window and looking out at Madrid again. And the warmer weather! Man, I'm looking forward to that!"

"It was a bit cold here in Maine," Regina agreed almost sheepishly.

"Blasted September weather," Emma nodded. "And it's only gonna get worse from here. By Christmas we'll be covered in snow."

"That sounds fun," Regina said and for a moment looked like a young girl.

"It can be. Do you have any Christmas plans, beautiful girl?" Emma queried.

Regina shrugged. "I don't think so. Daddy always opens the restaurant for the homeless and other people in need on Christmas, and usually I help as a waitress. But I don't think I can do that this year. I'm gonna be... pretty pregnant at the time."

"Then come to Storybrooke," Emma said softly. "I would really love if we could spend Christmas together. And I know my parents would too. There would definitely be an extra spot by the Christmas tree for you."

Regina smiled a little. "That could be very nice, _querida_, but I think it it's best if I don't give any final answers right now. You never know what's gonna happen. I could be bed-bound by then."

"Well, if that's the case, I'll come to you," Emma said plainly. "No way in hell you're spending Christmas alone!"

Regina chuckled now. "It's too early to talk about Christmas. We should focus on the here and now instead." She glared at her suitcase.

"I think we're pretty much ready to head to the airport," Emma nodded, glancing at her own suitcase which had been placed neatly near the wall.

"Unfortunately," Regina grumbled. But then she put on a smile. "Tomorrow the new week will start. Do you know what that means?"

"Nope," Emma said, smiling herself at Regina's sudden enthusiasm.

"I'll be fourteen weeks pregnant," Regina told her, still smiling widely. "Second trimester! And according to all my pregnancy trackers, the nausea will lessen, and I'll enter something called "the honeymoon phase"."

"'The honeymoon phase'?" Emma echoed and waggled an eyebrow. "That sounds very promising. What does it mean exactly?"

"Increased energy," Regina grinned. "And increased sex drive. Should heighten even more when I reach week fifteen, thank god. I think I've been pretty boring for the past two weeks."

"Not true at all!" Emma immediately protested. She and Regina had sex twice during the two weeks Regina had been here, and that had been plenty hot. Out of this world mind-blowingly sexy. Emma was still living high on it. Regina hadn't been "boring" at all. Just pregnant and a little tired. Which was completely fine and totally to be expected. As much as Emma enjoyed having sex with Regina, it wasn't vital to their relationship. Not at all.

"Please say you'll stay for at least a week," Regina said almost pleadingly. "It would be a damn SHAME if we didn't take advantage of the second trimester! When I reach third trimester, I'm gonna be enormous and too unsexy for-"

"Nope." Emma shushed her by putting a finger on her lips. "You'll never be too unsexy for anything. You are gonna look amazingly beautiful with a round belly, and I can't wait to see it!"

"Seems to me like you're already seeing plenty," Regina said, brushing her fingertips over her little bump again. "It's starting."

"And it looks so cute!"

"You really think so?"

"Yes," Emma said and let her hand cover the one still resting on Regina's little baby bump. "I really think so. And so does my mom. And my dad. And my friends. Ruby was literally gushing over you and said you were "so darn lucky" for looking so good when pregnant."

"Ruby is so sweet," Regina said softly, perking up a bit. "And she and Belle makes such a cute couple!"

"They do, don't they," Emma snickered. "Took them long enough to realize, but I don't think anything can tear those two apart."

"Let's hope not," Regina smiled. "They looked very in love."

"You know, Belle said the exact same thing about us," Emma smirked.

"Oh yeah? And what did you answer?" Regina teased.

"I said that we were so in love we couldn't stand it," Emma chuckled. "So in love we're willing to cross oceans for each other. How about that?"

"'If my love for you was an ocean, Lindbergh would have to use two airplanes to cross it,'" Regina quoted with a cheeky grin.

"That's... actually a good one," Emma said, torn between whether to laugh or aww out loud."

"I know. I'm full of good ones," Regina said and looked like she was about to flop back onto the bed, but Emma stopped her with a gentle: "we have to go to the airport, honey."

Regina sighed, and her voice was small when she said: "Right."

Emma studied her face for a moment, and it didn't take her long to figure out that despite Regina's joking around and humorous approach to what was waiting ahead, she was tired to the bones. The pregnancy still exhausted her, and the waiting showdown with her mother probably didn't do anything to lessen that exhaustion. Emma had to take deep breaths not to see red and lose it completely. It wasn't fair that Regina couldn't get a moments peace and actually adjust to her new situation. So far, she had been juggling everything as best as she could, and the week in Storybrooke was supposed to be a safe haven. A break from the responsibility at least for a while. But even then, Cora Mills had poked her head out, and Emma was starting to see the woman as some kind of big-teethed animal just waiting to sink those teeth into Regina...

The bed dipped as Regina stood abruptly, and Emma yelped a little as she nearly toppled over.

"Ooops," Regina laughed. "Aren't I the one who's supposed to have bad coordination?"

"Maybe I'll just sympathy stumble with you," Emma mumbled as she too stood from the bed. She walked over to Regina who was bending down to grab her suitcase, but Emma beat her to it with a: "nope! Not gonna happen!"

"What?" Regina laughed.

"You're not supposed to lift anything, silly!" Emma scolded. "Imagine if Alessandra and Sofía could see you. They would have your head."

"They would," Regina agreed with a chuckle. "I can't wait for you to meet them, Em-ma. You'll like them, I just know you will."

"I'm positive I will," Emma smiled. "They can't be anything but awesome."

"Oh, they are," Regina said, almost gushing with excitement. "They're so, so sweet! Sofía kept asking if I felt okay, and Alessandra couldn't stop offering me cake. And they're so excited. I think they were already discussing colors for the nursery and baby names..." the rest of the sentence hung in the air as Regina seemed to trail off a bit. Maybe it was the mention of baby names that brought on the look of distance in her eyes, and Emma was quick to take the younger woman's hand and gently squeeze it while she thoroughly searched Regina's face, looking for traces of just the tiniest bit of doubt. At no point whatsoever, had Regina said or suggested that she felt in doubt about her decision, and Emma hadn't mentioned it either. But she wanted Regina to know that she was allowed to change her mind. That if she found out that she didn't want to give up the baby, it wouldn't change anything between her and Emma. That Emma would be there no matter what.

But then the moment passed, and Regina smiled a quick and easy smile. "Well then, _Señorita Swan_, shall we embark on the journey to the airport?"

"We shall," Emma said and smiled. But deep down, she was wondering what Regina had been thinking about a moment ago. Sometimes, Emma struggled to find answers in those deep, black eyes. Sometimes Regina's heart was "a deep ocean of secrets".

That journey to the airport Regina had talked about, could actually have come to an end in the kitchen where Emma's mom hugged Regina so profusely and again and again, going anywhere seemed impossible. She repeated how wonderful it had been to meet her, instructed Regina to take care of herself and get enough rest. Instructed Emma to take care of Regina. She had even kissed Regina's cheek, and then by the end of it, she had given Regina something that was wrapped in tinfoil.

"Cookies for the flight," she said when Regina asked what it was. "It's important to have something sweet by hand in case your blood sugar drops."

"Thank you," Regina said, flashing one of her sweet smiles. "You've been so kind to me, Mary Margaret."

"No need to thank me, dear," Mary Margaret insisted, but Emma could see how thrilled her mom was about Regina's sweet, polite behavior. Mary Margaret hugged Regina one more time for good measurement, and then it was David's turn. He too said goodbye to Regina and exchanged a few friendly words with her, and while he did that, Mary Margaret turned her attention to her daughter. She gave Emma a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You take care of yourself too, dear."

"Of course," Emma chuckled. "I thought you had forgotten about me while gushing over Regina."

"Now, now." her mom wagged a finger at her. "It's hardly my fault that you come home from Spain with the perfect daughter-in-law."

Emma felt her insides melt at that. Hearing her mom refer to Regina as her daughter-in-law so naturally was positively adorable. Over her mom's shoulder she could her dad hug Regina. Gently. He was clearly being exceptionally careful not to squeeze her belly in the slightest, and that too made Emma go mushy.

"Okay, I think we have to go now," she said as though to make up for her mushy moment.

"Alright then," David said as he released Regina and gave Emma a hug. "Have a safe flight, honey. Let us know when you land."

"I will," Emma said, chuckling as she returned the kiss. "Thanks dad. And thank you for-" she would have said 'the money', but her dad just shushed her by cupping the back of her head and murmuring: "let us know how everything goes."

Emma knew exactly what he meant. She gave a little nod and a slight "mm"-sound in response.

Immediately after that little exchange, Mary Margaret began fussing and rushing because "Boston is a long drive and I don't want you to be late", and so Emma and Regina said their final goodbyes, and Regina was instructed to come again really soon. There would always be an empty seat at the table for her, Mary Margaret said. Regina looked suspiciously misty-eyed when thanking her, and when she and Emma were in the yellow bug, driving to the airport, she complained over her "stupid hormones".

"_¡Esto es ridículo!_" she grumbled as she wiped her eyes on a napkin. "I swear, being pregnant is turning me into some..." she muttered something in Spanish and wiped her eyes again.

"You're fine," Emma assured.

Regina scoffed. "How can you even say that? I look like a mess!"

"You don't. You look beautiful."

Regina snorted. "If this is how I handle saying goodbye to your parents, I really don't want to know how I'll look when I have to say goodbye to _YOU_."

Emma cringed. "Let's not talk about that right now, okay? Let's concentrate on the fourteen epic days that lies ahead."

"Good point," Regina nodded and smiled a little. "I like your way of thinking. And I like your parents. I hope I'll be able to come and visit soon."

"You better!" Emma said firmly. "Very, very soon. I don't wanna miss you too long. Or miss out on..." she glanced at Regina's belly. "Anything."

Regina smiled easily. "It would be really special if you could be there for the first kicks."

"Oh god, yes! I want to be there for that. So much!" Emma said earnestly.

Regina's smile seemed to widen at that, and she appeared to forget that she was going back to cyclone of drama her mother undoubtedly would have stirred up while she had been away.

Regina was acting almost suspiciously cheery on the drive to Boston, but by the time they reached the airport, her smile had faltered some, and Emma suspected that the reality over going home was starting to set in once again. She did her best to joke around and distract Regina, and even though Regina did laugh at her jokes, Emma had a feeling that the younger woman wouldn't be completely relaxed until after the meeting/showdown with her mother.

By the time they were sitting in the airplane and had buckled their seatbelts, Regina looked like she was a million miles away. Until Emma took her hand and squeezed it. That made her come back and smile at the blonde, but Emma could still see that concerned little wrinkle right between her eyes, and she wished that there was something she could have said to magically make everything better. But when she told Regina this, Regina just shrugged and said: "it's better that she knows. Better to just let the cat out of the bag once and for all. Let her have it out and rage and then go back to hate me quietly."

"She doesn't-"

"She will when she finds out how far along I am and my plans for the future."

"Regina-"

"No, it's okay," Regina interrupted and smiled meekly as she toyed with the end of her long braid. "I can handle my mother hating me. That honestly won't be much of a change, really. But if my dad..." she trailed off and blew out air. "The idea that he should look at me and think less of me because of this..." she sighed. "I think that might kill me."

"He won't do that!" Emma said very, very firmly. "Your father loves you, Regina! I heard as much when you talked to him over the phone!"

"But will he still love me when I tell him what I'm planning on doing?" Regina asked rhetorically and ran her fingers down her growing belly again. "My mother might be extreme, but my dad is actually very family orientated as well. You know what he always says after one of my arguments with Mother? 'Family is the most important thing'. What I'm planning on doing doesn't exactly back up that motto, does it?"

"If he loves you, he'll respect your decision and support it," Emma said firmly, squeezing Regina's hand again. "Because that's what family do."

Regina sighed again and tugged a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I wish I could believe that. I truly do."

"I can't imagine him not supporting you," Emma said softly. Even though she had only met Henry once, she had sensed the strong bond between father and daughter. And Henry's reaction when Regina called him, had only backed up that theory.

"And he probably will," Regina said, clearly forcing herself to sound relaxed. "I'm just being silly, right?"

"You're not being silly at all, honey," Emma said softly and leaned in so she could drop a kiss on Regina's hair. "Not even in the slightest."

The seatbelt signal dinged, and they both quickly buckled their seatbelt. Regina did so while joking about how the seatbelt already felt a bit snug.

Emma chuckled. "I hope not. I appreciate your ability to breathe."

Regina laughed at that. "However will I cope when I get bigger?"

Emma grabbed the seatbelt sitting over Regina's belly and gave it a little tug. "It's stretchable. I can feel it."

"Thank goodness," Regina joked and leaned back in her seat. She smiled at Emma and her dark eyes sparkled. "This is a new level in our relationship, _querida_."

"Me yanking at your seatbelt?"

Regina laughed again. "No, you idiot. I meant flying together. We've never done that before!"

"Oh," Emma smiled. "You're right. That IS a new level. And I like it. I like reaching new levels in our relationship."

"Me, too," Regina said and leaned back in the flight seat.

As the flight attendants performed the safety routine, Emma took Regina's hand and played lightly with her fingers. Then she gently massaged the soft spot between Regina's thumb and index finger, and Regina made a little hum of contend. As she once jokingly had said, she did enjoy a good hand massage, and that statement certainly was true. Emma did try to pay attention as the flight attendants went through the safety instructions, but massaging Regina's hand was just so much more important. As was carefully watching Regina's reaction. She looked like she was slowly melting back in her seat. She actually looked like she was on the verge of falling asleep, and even though Regina claimed that her fondness for sleeping was highly irritating, Emma found it to be highly adorable. During their previous week together when they were talking in bed at night, Regina could suddenly doze off to sleep right in the middle of a conversation. When Emma told her about it come morning, she had no memories about falling asleep at all. And she had been quite mortified upon finding out that she had. But Emma had just chuckled softly, kissed Regina and told her that she was adorable. Regina had complained, though. Complained about not being able to stay awake. Exactly like she apparently couldn't right now. Her eyelids had started to droop, and Emma couldn't blame her for it. They had been up early because they had to pack and all that jazz. If Regina needed to take a nap on the flight back to Spain, then so be it. Emma knew for a fact that Regina had fallen asleep later than her last night because she worried about going home and "face the music" as she had put it.

As the flight attendants wished everyone a good flight, Regina's head dropped to Emma's shoulder without warning, and Emma got a whiff of her perfume and shampoo. Cinnamon and spice and everything nice. She glanced out of the window as the plane started to move and pick up speed. It wouldn't take long before they were in the air. And Emma was happy about it. She was happy that she was here with Regina. Happy she was going back to Spain to be by Regina's side when facing Cora Mills. The hand that wasn't still holding onto Regina's curled into a fist, and Emma's knuckles cracked slightly. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd do, but she would definitely react in one way or the other if Cora said something nasty to Regina. Maybe Emma would end up yelling at Regina's mother. And maybe she didn't care that she would end up yelling at her. Cora was so very far from Emma's favorite person. She had no problem with remembering how Cora pretty much had been in Regina's face during their last altercation. The first and only time Emma would witness her doing THAT. She wouldn't allow Cora to get that close to Regina again. Or allow anyone to get that close to Regina. The unpleasant memory of Regina taking a slap across the face from Marian popped into Emma's mind, and she growled a little under her breath. Never again. Never ever again!

Emma felt her belly do a slight flip flop as the plane left the ground, and then Regina groaned as she lifted her head from Emma's shoulder.

"Hi. You missed out on the security instructions, but I'll be happy to fill you in," Emma half-chuckled as she squeezed Regina's hand again. "I figured you would be asleep for longer."

"No, I don't think I need any more sleep right now," Regina mumbled as she sat up straighter in her seat. "I actually feel a bit queasy. Must have been the takeoff."

"Oh," Emma said, immediately concerned. "Are you gonna be sick?" she was already glancing around to locate one of those handy dandy brown paper bags.

"I hope not. As I said, it's probably just the takeoff," Regina said and rubbed her belly. "Happened the last time too."

"You felt sick the last time?!" Emma said louder than intended. "You never told me that!"

Regina shrugged, but Emma kept pressing the issue: "did you throw up during the flight?"

Regina stopped shrugging and looked a bit sheepish instead.

"You _did_!" Emma deduced and pushed a stray lock of hair away from Regina's face. "Honey, you didn't tell me about that!"

"Because I didn't want to worry you," Regina said and shrugged again. "And because it was stupid and embarrassing, and the flight attendants kept checking on me afterwards. I received a few looks from the other passengers, and I think a few of them thought that I was drunk or hungover, so when one of the flight attendants asked me if I was okay for the millionth time, I ended up blurting out that I was pregnant. Then they started asking me if I was sitting comfortably enough instead. It was an absolute farce."

"A farce you didn't tell me about," Emma grumbled. "You should have!"

Regina snickered and gave her a slight nudge. "I'm telling you now, _querida_. Stop fussing. And stop pouting. Even though you look pretty cute when you're doing it."

Emma refused to be distracted and take the bait. "How are you feeling now? Any nausea? Do you need anything? Water, perhaps?" she was already reaching into her little backpack to retrieve a bottle of water.

"No," Regina chuckled, reaching into her own bag. "I have just the cure I need." As she spoke, she found the tinfoil wrapped pack Mary Margaret had given her earlier. She unwrapped one of the cookies and took a bite.

"Oh," Emma said relieved. "You're hungry."

"_Sí_," Regina snickered and took another bite. "And these are so good. Your mom is a wonderful cook."

"I'll make sure to let her know you said that," Emma smiled. "She will be pleased to hear that coming from her favorite daughter-in-law..."

Regina rolled her dark eyes. "_Querida_. I'm her _only_ daughter-in-law."

"But nevertheless her favorite," Emma teased. "Seriously, she was completely besotted with you! She hasn't met that many of my partners, but out of the few I ever brought home, you are definitely her favorite. She adores you."

"The feeling is mutual," Regina said warmly and found another cookie. "You want one? They're really good."

"Those are for you," Emma protested. "You need them more than I do. Think of your blood sugar."

Regina laughed heartedly. "Right then, doctor Swan. Just take the damn cookie, will you? Or I'll stuff it inside your mouth. And I assure you, that won't be pretty."

"Okay, okay," Emma surrendered and accepted the offered cookie. She took a little bite and hummed. "Oh yeah. These are really good!"

"Told ya," Regina giggled and stretched her legs a little.

Emma spotted it and immediately queried: "are you sitting alright? You don't have any aches, do you?"

"No," Regina said ever so patiently. "Look at you going all crazy."

"Not crazy," Emma defended.

"What would you call it then?"

Emma flashed her a big grin. "Worrying about my pregnant girlfriend, obviously."

Regina grinned back at her. "Have I ever mentioned how glad I am that I'm not going back to Spain alone?" she leaned in and pecked Emma's cheek.

"You smell of chocolate," Emma told her.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Regina asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, trust me, beautiful girl. I wouldn't have it any other way," Emma assured and broke her cookie in two halves. "Here, let's share. I don't want to rob a pregnant woman of her snackies."

"That's awfully thoughtful of you," Regina said as she accepted the half cookie without putting up much of a fight.

"I know," Emma chuckled and took a bite of her cookie as she looked at the fluffy white cloud drifting past their window. This wasn't half-bad. And somehow the flight got even better when Regina shifted so she could rest her head on Emma's shoulder once again. Emma draped an arm around her girlfriend and teased her a little bit by once again asking if she felt okay, and the soft "shut up" and following nudge she received in return made her heart melt...

**To Be Continued...**


	26. Chapter 26

"Home sweet home," Emma joked and grabbed her suitcase a little more firmly.

"_Sí_, something like that," Regina said a bit meekly. She too was holding onto her suitcase.

"Are you feeling any better?" Emma asked worriedly and gave the small of Regina's back a soft touch with her free hand.

"Mhmm," Regina said, and managed to sound so unconvincing, Emma decided that they should take a little break. They had landed about twenty five minutes ago and were now standing in the middle of Madrid Airport. But unfortunately, the landing had made Regina feel dreadfully nauseous. Not nauseous enough to use one of the brown bags each passengers were given, but certainly nauseous enough to sit with her eyes squeezed tightly shut and breathe slowly in through her nose and out through her mouth. Emma had held her hand, stroked the soft spot between her thumb and index finger while talking softly to her all the way down. Once the plane was safely on land again, Regina had opened her eyes and made a meek joke about "Blueberry not being a fan of flying".

"Let's get going," Regina said firmly and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

"Are you sure? You don't need another minute?"

"No-no, I'm fine. I just wanna get home and..."

"Lay down?" Emma suggested.

"_Sí_," Regina said, now smiling more genuinely. "That sounds like a very good plan. It's been a long flight."

"It has," Emma agreed and smiled too as she looked around in the familiar airport. "And it's almost weird arriving together, isn't it?"

"But nice too," Regina said firmly.

"Oh yeah, definitely nice." Emma gave Regina's lower back another little gentle caress. "You sure you're ready to continue?"

"Absolutely. Come on, _querida_. Let's get out of here."

"Lead the way, beautiful girl."

Regina chuckled as she indeed lead the way. Emma followed her blue suitcase through the airport and thought to herself how nice it was to be back in Spain. She had missed the country. Could already sense how nice and toasty warm it was outside. Not at all like in Maine where it was either raining or just being windy. Emma thought about California. Would it be warm there as well? What would it be like to wake up in a beach house every day... she scoffed. A beach house, really? Now she was just dreaming out loud. How silly of her. She should concentrate on following the blue suitcase before she lost it in the crowd. That could easily happen here.

They made it out on the parking lot and found Regina's faithful little silvery car waiting for them. Emma was quick to grab the suitcases and stuff them into the boot of Regina's car, but when she came back and found Regina behind the wheel, the young brunette looked a bit green. And she was using a hand to fan herself.

"You alright?" Emma asked and frowned in concern as she reached over and put a hand on Regina's shoulder. "You look a bit... green."

"I do feel a bit queasy actually," Regina said and took a deep breath.

Emma opened her purse and conjured a bottle of water for Regina. "Here, try and have a sip of the water. Maybe it'll help."

"_Gracias_," Regina said, taking the bottle from Emma and uncapping it. Then she took a small sip. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glanced hopefully at Emma. "Any chance there's any more of those salty crackers left you bought on the plane?"

"Fret not _mi amor_," Emma said playfully as she dived deeper into her purse and found the little bag of salty crackers. She handed on of the crackers to Regina who eagerly stuffed it inside her mouth.

"I'm fourteen weeks along. The nausea should be gone," Regina said half-jokingly.

"How's the nausea now?" Emma asked softly.

"The cracker helped. I think. But I'm still a bit queasy. I just want to go home," Regina replied as she fiddled with her seatbelt for a second.

"You want me to drive?" Emma offered.

"No-no, it's fine," Regina assured and adjusted a little in the driver's seat. Then she grimaced slightly.

"What's with the face?" Emma asked immediately. She really disliked when Regina winced or grimaced in any way!

"I think my butt might have fallen asleep during the flight," Regina chuckled.

"Oh," Emma shared her amusement.

"But the nausea I could have done without," Regina continued and wrinkled her nose. "I hope it's not a permanent thing occurring whenever I'm on a plane. That would make travels pretty...sucky."

Emma smiled a little at the word. "Let's hope it's something that will subside in the second trimester."

"And let's hope my mother isn't standing in my apartment when I get home, because I am in no way geared to dealing with _that_ right now!" Regina said as she started the engine.

"You think she'd do that?" Emma asked. Now she was the one to grimace.

"Oh, when it comes to my mother, I think she's capable of doing almost anything now," Regina said darkly but made up for her words by switching on the radio. Some Spanish song blasted out, and Emma took that as a clear sign that Regina wasn't particularly interested in talking about her mother.

"It's nice to be back," Emma said with a grin. "I've missed it."

"Which part of it?" Regina chuckled.

"All of it. The heat. The Spanish music. The..." Emma snickered once. "The possibility of hanging out with you without my parents being around all the time. I love 'em, but I have missed just being you and me."

"You are terrible," Regina laughed. "Completely and utterly."

"Maybe, but not as terrible as Ruby and Belle," Emma chuckled. "Did you notice that they were barely upset when we said goodbye to them?"

"They hugged us both twice," Regina pointed out with an eyeroll.

"And Ruby normally hugs me at least three times," Emma laughed. "But this time, she only had time for two hugs. And Belle was looking more at Ruby than at me."

"I noticed," Regina admitted with a grin. "But you gotta admit they're cute."

"Oh, definitely," Emma agreed. "Absolutely. But-"

"-Not as cute as us," Regina finished the sentence with another eyeroll and then chuckled heartedly. "Think you can fish out another cracker for me?"

"Sure," Emma said briskly, thrusting a hand inside the bag and "fishing out" a cracker. Since Regina was driving and had to keep both hands on the wheel, it turned out to somewhat of a farce in which Emma carefully put the cracker inside Regina's open mouth. She couldn't help but laugh. And then point out that she found it to be quite sexy, putting crackers inside Regina's mouth.

"Thanks I guess," Regina laughed after having carefully swallowed the cracker.

"I'm serious, beautiful girl," Emma chuckled. "It was sexy."

"Next time I'll bite your finger," Regina vowed with a smirk.

"Now _that_ would make me melt on the spot! Any chance you want another cracker?"

"No, I'm good," Regina assured and shook her head a little. "You'll have to wait with melting."

"Damn it," Emma joked.

Regina laughed hoarsely and adjusted the rear-view mirror. Opened the window and complained about the heat. But Emma loved the heat. She had missed the heat. Storybrooke had been a freaking freezer for the past two weeks, and Emma had feared that Regina had found it to be a terrible, cold place. Regina hadn't complained. But she _had_ been wearing jeans and long sleeves ninety percent of the time, so Emma gathered that she actually had been freezing. Emma had frozen too. And she was starting to get tired of the coldness of Maine. She wanted warmer weather.

Not too long after, they reached Regina's apartment. And found no Cora Mills lurking there. Instead they found what Regina referred to as "a fucking oven!" she cranked open every single window and then scoffed at what she found on the table. The bottle of prenatal vitamins had been moved just an inch or so from their original spot, and the cap hadn't been properly screwed on.

"A sure sign of my mother's rage," Regina joked half-heartedly. "She usually leaves everything untouched."

"Usually?" Emma echoed and raised an eyebrow. "She's done this before? Been in your apartment when you weren't home?"

Regina shrugged lightly. "Once or twice."

Emma growled and felt tempted to call Cora Mills a very nasty word. But before she could, Regina's cellphone went off.

"If that's her, I swear to god I'm gonna-" Regina stopped talking and smiled when looking at the screen. "Oh. It's not _madre_. It's Alessandra. She did say she would call me when I landed." Regina kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the old leather couch. "Excuse me, _querida_. Won't be a moment."

"Go ahead, beautiful," Emma said, kicking off her shoes and dragging her suitcase into Regina's bedroom. Through the open door, she heard Regina cheerfully greet Alessandra in Spanish. All traces of fatigue had mysteriously vanished from her voice now, and Emma thought to herself that Regina one day would make a phenomenal actress. Emma unzipped her suitcase and concentrated on unpacking while Regina was on the phone. She wasn't completely sure how long she was gonna stay in Spain this time, so she had packed for any occasion. Shorts and skirts and pants and dresses. Emma frowned slightly when looking at the tight, pink bodycon dress at the bottom of the suitcase. Why on earth had she brought that? That thing was way too formal for holidaying. This was the kind of dress she would wear if she was photographing at a wedding or something like that. Oh well. Maybe she would find an occasion to wear the dress for, who knows. She chuckled a bit when remembering how she and Regina had been goofing around while finishing packing up their stuff. Maybe that was why she accidentally packed that silly dress. She would have to tell Regina about it when she was done talking to Alessandra. Emma could still hear her cheerfully chirps through the open bedroom door. Emma could hear two voices now, and she figured that Alessandra must have put the phone on speaker so Sofía could participate in the conversation too. And she could also hear how upbeat Regina sounded. Not at all like someone who had been feeling queasy a moment ago. Yes, Regina would indeed make for a fine actress someday. Emma fruitlessly smoothened a hand over the clothes in the suitcase while pretending to do something useful, but really, she was busier listening to Sofía and Alessandra's voices. Sofía had a very soft, mild voice while Alessandra's voice was a bit deeper. Not as rich as Regina's, though. Emma doubted that anyone had a richer voice than Regina. God, Emma loved Regina's voice. It was so dreadfully sexy whether she laughed or spoke or whispered. Or moaned or screamed... Emma completely trailed off with a hand on one of her tanktops. She was slowly but steadily loosing herself to different occasions in which Regina had both screamed and moaned. Oh, what a delicious memory that was! Emma smirked a little to herself. And then reminded herself that she was thinking about sex as literally the first thing when sitting foot in Spain. Emma clicked her tongue in dismay. She wasn't a teenager. Or pregnant. She had absolutely no excuse to let her hormones rule her damn mind. What she needed to do was to pull herself together. And maybe change into something more suitable for the climate. She had been wearing jeans on the plane in order to not get cold, but now the jeans were definitely too warm. Emma thrusted a hand inside the suitcase and found a pair of grey shorts. Way more suitable. Emma quickly unzipped her jeans and changed into the pair of shorts. The windows in Regia's bedroom were very slightly ajar, but definitely not enough, so Emma helped herself and pushed the window open all the way. A very slight breeze immediately hit her skin, and Emma sighed in sheer relief. Ahh. So much better. Regina was right. This place was a bit of an oven, really.

Regina. Emma realized that she couldn't her voice coming from the living room. Nor Sofía's or Alessandra's. In fact she couldn't hear anything. Hmm. Interesting. Emma moved away from the window and poked her head out of the open bedroom door. What she saw made her feel both soft and worried. Regina had fallen asleep with her head tipped back and her lips slightly parted. Her chest was rising and falling steadily. Her fingers were still wrapped loosely around the phone. Poor thing. She was clearly completely beat. Damn fatigue still getting the best of her. Emma quietly walked out of the bedroom and observed Regina for a second as she slept. Should she just let her sleep? That would probably be the most sensible thing to do, but Emma was afraid that Regina would wake up with a massive kink in her neck after having been sleeping with her head tipped that far backwards. Emma should wake her. She should wake her and carry her into the bedroom so she could get a proper nap in the bed instead of risking waking up with a massive kink.

But before Emma could get the chance to gently kiss Regina awake and carry her to bed, the universe woke her. The universe meaning her phone. The damn thing went off in her hand, and Regina jolted awake with a slight yelp and dropped the phone on the floor with a thud. "_Dios mio!_"

"You alright?" Emma asked slightly alarmed.

"_Sí-sí_, I'm fine," Regina said, wincing slightly as she rubbed at a sore spot on her neck. She eyed the ringing phone on the floor. "If _that's_ my mother, I'm not gonna pick up."

"Good plan." Emma could only condone that decision. She understood that talking to Cora Mills craved a lot, and Regina did in no way look geared for that right now.

With a slight sigh, Regina picked the phone up from the floor and turned its screen upwards. A little smile of relief spread on her lips. "It's just daddy. Thank god." She swiped a finger over the screen and brought the phone up to her ear: "_hola, papi_." Smile widening, she continued: "_Sí, hace unos veinte minutos. Si, estoy bien. Solo un poco cansado. No claro que no_. _Sí, el vuelo salió bien_." She listened to something her dad said in the other end, and now Emma could see her features darken. Her voice sounded less upbeat when she said: "_Oh si. Si. No, no he sabido nada de ella, pero_-" she sighed. "_Sí. Si. Pero no creo que haya una manera fácil de tener esta conversación._ _Bien. Mañana a las siete de la noche. Si. Estaremos ahí._ _Bueno. Le diré eso a Emma. Adiós papi._" She ended the call and let out a long sigh. "My dad says hi," she told Emma.

"And he clearly told you something else too," Emma said gently. "You're frowning, beautiful girl."

"We've been invited over to his place for tea. Tomorrow night at seven. My mother is gonna be there," Regina said matter of factly.

"I see," Emma said just as matter of factly. "Well, good thing I brought my battle dress, then."

"Your battle dress?" Regina echoed and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Emma chuckled slightly as she told Regina about the pink bodycon dress she'd brought. The dress that always made her feel a little more swanky than usual. And definitely a little more prepared for battle. There was that opportunity she had been waiting for.

Regina laughed meekly. "As prepared for battle as you might feel in it, _querida_, I think it would have been better if you had brought a shield with you instead. Or an armor. I guarantee you, this is going to be ugly. I'm not even sure you should come with-"

"Okay, that is something that isn't up for discussion, so don't even try!" Emma said firmly. "I'm going with you. And that's final."

"I'm trying to spare you my mother's nastiness."

"And _I'm_ trying to do what I planned on doing right from the start. Be there every step on the way. You can't do anything to change my mind or prevent me from coming with you. Not unless you tie me to a chair or something..."

"That does sound fun," Regina interjected with a slight grin.

"Okay, Ms. Dirty Mind," Emma chuckled as she extended a hand out towards her girlfriend. "Come here."

"Where are we going?" Regina asked as she willingly took Emma's hand and let her pull her up from the couch.

"To bed."

"Now who has a dirty-"

"To _sleep_," Emma clarified.

"I'm not tired," Regina argued.

Emma spluttered. "I hate to break it to you, honey, but you just fell asleep sitting on the couch, and as cute as you looked with your mouth open-"

Regina glared at her.

"I think you'd be so much more comfortable in the bed," Emma continued, ignoring Regina's scowl. "Don't you?"

"But I have things to unpack," Regina meekly protested.

"Sure you do," Emma briskly agreed. "Later. Now come on!" before Regina could say anything else, Emma had elegantly swept the younger woman up bridal style and was carrying her towards the bedroom.

"You don't have to carry me over the threshold in my own home," Regina giggled.

"Oh, but I do," Emma laughed. "Nothing wrong with being a little traditional, _mi belleza_."

"I now pronounce you to be in Spain. You may kiss the pregnant girl," Regina said flatly. "And make it a good one in case her mother decides to murder her tomorrow..."

"No one's gonna get murdered," Emma insisted. "Well, except perhaps your mom. By me." she mock growled and tried to sound as threatening as possible. "Emma Swan, personal bulldog and defender of sassy flamenco dancers who aren't damsels in distress..."

As expected, Regina laughed. Heartedly. And then she tightened her grip around Emma's neck a little. "You do make for a very cute bulldog, _querida_."

"And a pretty sexy one too, right?"

"Oh god, don't ever say _that _again!" Regina laughed.

"Noted," Emma said. Bulldogs were NOT sexy. Not even in the slightest. That was a ridiculous thing to say. Even for her. Instead of saying stupid stuff, she concentrated on carrying Regina the rest of the way into the bedroom and then carefully setting her down on the bed.

Regina immediately flopped on the bed with a heartfelt: "ahhh!", and Emma chuckled. Regina sounded like she had just climbed the Mount Everest.

"Pizza later?" Regina said lazily.

"Or I could cook?" Emma suggested.

"And make me feel awful for being a lazy ass?" Regina laughed. "No, we'll order takeout. I am in the mood for a really greasy pizza with lots of cheese..." she trailed off and licked her lips, and Emma immediately took the opportunity to call her sexy. Regina insisted that she wasn't, but Emma brushed that aside and joked that melted cheese made everyone feel at least a little hot and bothered. While Regina laughed at that, Emma climbed into bed to lay next to her. And spoon her.

"It's great to be back in Spain with you," she murmured into Regina's hair.

"It's great to have you back in Spain," Regina said quietly and a tad sleepily. "Even if the occasion is... Well."

"Your dad's gonna be there too," Emma reminded her. "He'll work as a sort of buffer, right?"

"He'll try," Regina sighed. "He always does. But my mother will throttle him. Like she always does."

"Well, I won't let her throttle _you_!"

"Thanks, _querida_," Regina laughed and reached back so she could pat Emma's hand. "I'm sure your battle dress will do just the trick." She laughed sleepily.

"You're tired," Emma murmured and pressed a soft kiss to Regina's hair. "Get some sleep."

"One hour," Regina insisted. "Otherwise I'll be awake all night."

"Then I'll be awake with you."

Regina chuckled villainously. "And whatever would we do in the darkness, _mi amor_?"

"Oh, I'm sure we could think of something," Emma laughed and wondered how it was possible for Regina to sound so seductive when basically half asleep.

Regina spontaneously grabbed Emma's hand and guided it to her belly, and Emma smiled a little. Regina's belly was so cute. All rounded and adorable.

"Imagine when it'll start to wiggle around in there," Regina sleepily mumbled.

"Mmm, that's gonna be real special," Emma hummed.

"I wonder what it'll feel like?" Regina said. "When it starts to kick properly, I mean. Do you think it'll hurt?"

"It better not," Emma said firmly.

Regina snickered humorlessly. "You know, I've read stories online where the baby kicked so hard the ribs-"

"Nope," Emma interrupted. "No horror stories, beautiful girl. It's not good for you."

"Do you know what's good for me?" Regina hummed. "You are."

"Well, I certainly try my best."

"When you're here-" Regina said and turned around, so they were face to face. "I feel like I can do anything. Including talking to my mother."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, honey," Emma said softly. "You are strong all on your own."

"I don't feel very strong."

"But you are. Strongest person I know."

"You really think so?"

"I really think so," Emma said and chuckled warmly when Regina yawned and then looked sheepish. "And right now I also think that you're the sleepiest person I know."

"Wanna sleep with me?" Regina nonchalantly offered.

"Oh yeah," Emma grinned. "Always. And in any way, you want."

"I'll hold you to that," Regina mumbled as she burrowed into Emma and closed her eyes. It didn't take long before she fell asleep with her head on Emma's arm, and even though Emma wasn't nearly as tired as Regina was, she stayed put and busied herself with stroking Regina's hair. Her heart ached for Regina. It felt like the universe just kept throwing shit at her. When would she get a break? Heavens know she had deserved one. Emma imagined whisking Regina off to some beautiful place. A place where Cora Mills or Marian or Neal Cassidy didn't exist. A place where Regina could rest for the remaining of the pregnancy. A faraway beach where no one would find them. A house on the beach where they could hide. Sit under a palm tree and sip cream soda and soak their feet in the ocean whenever they needed to. Eat exotic fruit all day. Bathe in the ocean at sundown and make love all through the night. Was that really too much to ask of the universe? A place where they could be in peace while Regina was pregnant. And maybe afterwards too. Maybe they simply wouldn't come back.

Emma sighed. That really wouldn't be so bad. A safe place where Cora Mills or Marian or whomever didn't have an opportunity to find them. A place where Regina could relax and take care of herself during the pregnancy like she was supposed to instead of having to worry about everything all the time. It wasn't fair that she never could get a moment to breathe and be happy. Her stay in Storybrooke was supposed to make for a nice break, but then it had been ruined. Mainly by Cora, but really, Neal had been the first one to ruin it when he showed up at Granny's. That shithead.

Stroking Regina's hair and listening to the little sounds she made in her sleep made for a very relaxing experience, and Emma ended up falling asleep anyway. And she dreamed. She saw a little white house on the beach. She saw Regina emerge from that house. Belly big and eyes shining. Lips soft as she kissed Emma.

For a moment, everything was real. The sound of the waves. The soft sand under her bare feet. But the realest thing of all, was Regina's lips against her own. Emma's sleep limp hand was still resting on Regina's belly, a complete mirror of what was happening in her dream. In her dream-scenario, she was touching Regina's significantly larger belly and laughing as the baby wiggled around within Regina. Regina took her hand and lead her into the beach house, and as Emma's body burrowed deeper into the mattress, she completely disappeared in the dream. Lost herself in their paradise where there were no such things as meddling mothers or scorned ex-fiancées...

Spanish translations:

hola, papi= hey dad.

Sí, hace unos veinte minutos. Si, estoy bien. Solo un poco cansado. No claro que no. Sí, el vuelo salió bien= Yes, about twenty minutes ago. Yes, I'm OK. Just a little tired. Of course not. Yes the flight went well.

"Oh si. Si. No, no he sabido nada de ella, pero= "Oh yeah. Yes. No, I haven't heard from her, but-

Sí. Si. Pero no creo que haya una manera fácil de tener esta conversación. Bien. Mañana a las siete de la noche. Si. Estaremos ahí. Bueno. Le diré eso a Emma. Adiós papi= Yes Yes. But I don't think there is an easy way to have this conversation. Well. Tomorrow at seven in the evening. Yes. We will be there. Okay. I will tell Emma that. Bye daddy.

Just a little interlude before the big Regina vs. Cora confrontation! :O

**To Be Continued...**


	27. Chapter 27

The rest of that evening was nice. Very nice, actually. After another nap (that left them completely disorientated when waking up), Regina ordered a large pizza with extra cheese, and Emma wished that she'd had her camera nearby so she could have captured the way Regina's eyes shone when she looked at the pizza. Emma joked a little and claimed that Regina plus pizza equaled true love. Regina had threatened to throw the pizza at her.

After stuffing their face with too much pizza, they went to bed. Properly, this time. Regina slipped into the tanktop she'd stolen from Emma and the little silk shorts she always paraded around in, and Emma just shrugged on a long t-shirt. But because of their nap earlier, none of them were very tired, so instead of sleeping they ended up laying awake for hours and talking. About everything and nothing. Eventually they reached the infamous stage where everything was funny, and Emma's jokes had Regina in stiches. Until the round ligament pains but an effective stop to that. Emma vowed not to make Regina laugh.

It took a long while before either of them felt tired that night. Emma was the first one to surrender to sleep. When she woke up again, Regina was very much awake. And playing with her hair. She made a little joke about being able to make Emma fall back to sleep just by running her fingers through her hair, and it turned out to be anything but a joke. Emma did indeed fall asleep again. Her jetlagged mind allowed her two hours of sleep this time. Then she woke up again, and this time around, Regina was fast asleep. With one hand cradling her growing baby bump. Which Emma found to be extremely adorable. And rather curious too. She wondered whether Regina had fallen asleep like that, with one hand on her belly, or if she perhaps was dreaming something that had made her cradle her belly like that. Emma was sure she had read somewhere that pregnant women dreamed a lot, and she reminded herself to ask Regina about it when she woke up again, but then she had ended up going right back to sleep, and when she woke again, the sunshine was streaming through Regina's thin, white curtains. Emma was warm and snug in Regina's bed. With her arms safely wrapped around Regina. Of all the ways she could have woken up, Emma most certainly preferred this one. So did Regina. She groggily asked if she was dreaming some sort of wonderful dream or if Emma by chance was real and in her bed. Emma teasingly blew air onto the back of her neck and told her that she was very real. Morning breath and all. That had made Regina laugh. And then state that she was hungry. Which had made Emma laugh because Regina sounded positively sheepish when admitting to being hungry. Emma had hopped out of bed and rummaged through Regina's fridge until she had found a pack of bacon. She'd made toast and bacon, and by the time she had put it all onto a tray and carried it into the bedroom, Regina had been fast asleep again. She had been VERY surprised and a little touched when discovering that Emma had made breakfast for her. Obviously, she had started going on about how Emma "shouldn't have" and that she "wasn't an invalid".

Emma had shushed her by stuffing a piece of bacon inside her mouth.

Their first morning back in Spain was wonderful too. They did absolutely nothing. Didn't even get out of bed for hours. Well, Regina did because her bladder ordered her to, but she almost immediately came back to bed and complained over how lazy she felt. Emma told her that she loved being lazy with her, but Regina had insisted that they should at least do _something_. So they had agreed to go to El Rastro. Tomorrow. None of them had the energy to do anything today.

"I don't even have the energy to see my parents tonight," Regina stated matter of factly and made a face. "You sure you don't wanna stay here while I-"

"I'm going with you, and that subject is closed."

"You're pretty sexy when you go all firm," Regina teased.

"Oh, you have no idea just how firm I can be," Emma said and growled lowly.

Regina laughed and adjusted herself a little better, so she was laying with her head on Emma's chest. "This is nice."

"It is," Emma agreed and busied herself with running her fingers through Regina's hair.

"You sure you don't wanna go out and explore?" Regina asked lazily.

"No," Emma laughed. "At least not today. Today your apartment is the most interesting attraction. And you, obviously."

Regina chuckled lightly at that.

"So, where does your dad live anyway?" Emma asked curiously.

Regina frowned. "I haven't told you that?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Well. He lives in Alcobendas."

"Huh?"

Regina laughed a little. "Eight miles north of Madrid."

"Oh."

"An area called _La Moraleja_," Regina continued and had to hide a yawn behind her hand.

"La Moraleja," Emma continued and frowned when the words seemed familiar in her mind. "Wait a minute, I think I've heard Ruby talk about that place at some point."

"You have?" Regina said and craned her neck slightly to look up at Emma.

"Yeah, and I think she called it "the Spanish version of Beverly Hills" or something like that."

Regina chuckled. "Well, I suppose that isn't so far off."

"Seriously? How scared should I be to visit your dad's place?"

Regina chuckled again. "You've met my dad, _querida_. You know that he isn't snobbish in anyway. He doesn't even like to live there."

"He doesn't?"

"No, no, no. He bought the to please my mother," Regina sneered. "But who knows maybe he'll find some place else now that she's leaving..."

Emma swallowed something. "Ruby said that it was this really posh place crammed with mansions and golf clubs and private schools..."

"That's true," Regina half-laughed.

"Did _you_ go to private school?"

"Sure did."

"No!" Emma exclaimed and looked down at her girlfriend. "Seriously?"

"_Sí._ I went to an all-girls private school from the age of six and until I turned seventeen. Imagine being a closeted bisexual teenager in such a place..."

"Shit," Emma said plainly.

"Yeah," Regina agreed, laughing again. "My childhood home is my mother's twisted version of a castle, and she rules there..."

"Hmm," Emma stroked her girlfriend's hair again. "Does that make you the wayward princess then?"

Regina snorted at the joke. "Maybe it does. The unruly princess. The rowdy princess who tossed away the crown or some shit..." she puffed out air. "That place is terrible. At least it was when my mother lived there and ruled as "the queen". Her frowning and sneering... her haughty friends always popping by and interrogating me about my "plans for the future". This..." she gestured towards her growing belly. "Isn't just an unplanned pregnancy to her. It's a disaster. It'll turn her "kingdom" upside down."

"Oh, boo-fucking-hoo," Emma sneered.

"She'll be furious," Regina stated matter of factly. "I don't think my visit is her idea."

"You don't?"

"God no," Regina laughed without humor. "Think of the neighbors, _querida_. What wouldn't they think if they saw queen Cora Mills' daughter parade around with a belly? It'll bring shame upon the family name. Everyone will gossip about it. Well, at least that's what she thinks. I'm pretty sure the neighbors are busier gossiping about how the wicked Cora could leave her devoted husband in such a brutal manner... God, sometimes I wonder why they choose to marry in the first place. A wrong match if there ever was one."

"There had to be something right about it, though," Emma said gently. "They created you. And I'm pretty grateful for that."

She earned herself a soft smile at that.

But come evening, Regina's mood turned less jokey and more somber. That little wrinkle between her eyebrows refused to smoothen out, and more than once, Emma caught her looking at nothing. Lost in thoughts. Emma didn't comment on it. She just wrapped her arms around Regina and asked if there was anything, she could do for her.

"Make sure my mother undergoes a personality transformation before I arrive," Regina said gruffly.

Emma didn't laugh. Just held Regina close. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Regina let out a little bubbly laugh. "Eleanor Roosevelt said that."

"She sure did. You didn't think I was making up fancy quotes all on my own, did you?"

That prompted Regina to chuckle again. "A woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong she is-"

"...Until you put her in hot water," Emma softly finished the quote.

"'You must do the things you think you cannot do,'" Regina said a bit thoughtfully and looked out of the window.

"Good old Eleanor Roosevelt," Emma smiled. "Smart lady. I think I did a project on her once."

"Of course you did," Regina half-chuckled. "And scored the best grade for it, right?"

"I did actually," Emma said with faux modestly.

"My smart girlfriend," said Regina affectionately and turned around. She stood on her tippy toes, so she was exactly tall enough to be able to kiss Emma on the cheek.

"MY smart girlfriend," Emma said firmly and cupped Regina's cheek.

"Keep that in mind when my mother continuously tells me how dumb I am tonight."

Emma hissed under her breath. "Your dad isn't gonna let her say that!"

"Let her?" Regina chuckled meekly. "_Querida_, she'll simply DO it. She doesn't wait around for a go ahead signal. You've met her. And that was on a good day."

"THAT was on a good day?!" Emma exclaimed. She had no problem with remembering how Cora had been basically in Regina's face that evening. How she had sneered at her daughter and expressed her disdain over basically everything Regina said and did. It had been extreme. And according to Regina, tonight would be even more extreme. And Emma was planning on being every bit a bulldog. She wasn't scared of Cora Mills. Nor was she afraid of standing up to Regina. Not even in the slightest. From her time with Milah Gold, she had great experience with putting her foot down when it came to wicked mothers. It had been a while since she last flexed those abilities, though, but tonight would be a perfect opportunity to show her teeth.

A little later, Regina changed out of the "pajama" she had been wearing all day. She traded the little silk shorts for a black midi-skirt and a short-sleeved red shirt with a V-neck. She brushed her long dark hair and tied it back in a ponytail with a red scarf. She put on her big, golden hoop earrings again, and Emma smiled and told her she looked beautiful.

"Thank you," Regina said and brushed a hand over her skirt. "Skirt's a little too conservative for my taste, but why arm my mother with more reasons to be unsatisfied with me?"

"Not funny," Emma half-growled. "Not even in the slightest."

Regina ignored that and shamelessly licked her lips as she looked at Emma. "You look really good tonight. That dress is..."

"My battle dress," Emma snickered as she did a little spin. "You like it?"

"I love it," Regina assured. "Pink is a great color on you."

"Thank you. Any chance your mom likes pink?"

"No."

"Figures."

They both laughed, and Regina shook her head a little. Then she frowned softly in sheer concentration as she began to apply her trademark red lipstick. A perfect cat eye quickly followed suit and then she pursed her lips slightly as she turned to stand sideways in front of the mirror. She straightened her posture, smoothened a hand over the red shirt she was wearing and then trailed two fingertips up and down her growing belly. "You know, pretty soon I won't be able to see my feet anymore," she stated matter of factly.

"I'll just have to carry you around then, won't I?" Emma joked as she walked over to Regina and slipped an arm around her expanding waist.

"_Muy divertida, querida_," Regina said flatly.

"I am hella funny!" Emma insisted. "You think so too."

"You are so dumb," Regina snickered.

"Hey!" Emma growled in warning and slid a hand down to Regina's ass. "Be careful."

"Or what?" Regina challenged amusedly.

In response, Emma gave her ass a slight pinch and shamelessly enjoyed the way Regina yelped and squirmed. "Is that warning enough, beautiful girl?"

Now Regina chuckled. "You're terrible." She elegantly wiggled out of Emma's grasp. "Are you ready to go? We better get a move on. A lady never misses tea time."

Emma made a sound that was half a laugh, half a sigh.

Soon Emma found herself back in Regina's car. Regina was sitting behind the wheel. She had switched the radio on, but the volume was so low, Emma doubted she could actually hear anything. Emma shifted a bit and smoothened the pink dress over her thighs. She felt pretty fancy actually. Ready for battle. Her hair had been pulled back in a high ponytail. Her eyes had been framed by thick, dark lashes. She felt sharp. Ready to face Cora Mills.

"I don't think we'll stay past one cup of tea," Regina said a bit out of nowhere. "I don't normally stick around for long when Mother is home."

"And tomorrow we'll go to El Rastro and pretend your mom doesn't exist. Sound good?"

"Sounds very good," Regina smiled.

"Maybe I'll even buy you an ice cream," Emma continued and acted goofy on purpose. Regina's smile hadn't been completely genuine, and Emma would like to rectify that. And soon her wish came true when Regina smiled. A real, genuine smile that reached her eyes.

"I'll still have you when this evening is over," she said softly.

"Hell yeah," Emma said firmly, reaching out so she could give Regina's knee a light squeeze. "And you have my parents too. There'll always be room for one more at their table, so if you ever need a little break from Spain..."

"I know," Regina smiled. "I know. But you know what? I'm actually sort of relieved my parents know. Obviously, I would have preferred that the circumstances had been better, but hiding it and having to wear big shirts every time I saw my dad has been pretty terrible. And keeping the pregnancy a secret-" she shook her head. "It would have been better if I had just been honest with them from the start. I've been quite the immature idiot."

"Hey now," Emma protested and patted Regina's knee. "You haven't been an idiot. You did what you found best."

"Thanks, _querida_, but I don't agree with you," Regina said and chuckled dryly. "Right now I wish that I had picked up the phone and called my dad as soon as I had taken that first pregnancy test."

"You were scared," Emma gently reminded her. "And overwhelmed."

"Still not an excuse to keep something so important from the person I trust most on this earth," Regina said matter of factly. "I won't be surprised if my dad turns out to be really disappointed in me. He's more than entitled to."

"He'll be able to understand why you didn't tell him," Emma said softly.

Regina said nothing and rummaged around in the glovebox and found her sunglasses. She slipped them on, but Emma was pretty fucking sure it had more to do with hiding her emotions rather than hiding from the sun. Emma patted her knee again.

Keeping her jaw in place became increasingly difficult for Emma when they reached _La Moraleja_. Ruby had been right, this really was the fucking Spanish version of Beverly Hills. Colossal houses in various shades of cream, off-white, pearly white, ivory and snow-white that looked more like mansions than anything else met Emma's eyes. Enormous lawns that were ridiculously neatly trimmed and too-big-for-words swimming pools which were lit up and most likely warmed up as well. Three-storied buildings, four-storied buildings. Sometimes up to three cars parked in front of the lavish "castles". Houses that appeared to have rooftop terraces. Houses that had rooftop _pools_. And houses with the biggest balconies Emma had ever seen in her life.

"Holy crap," she said simply and tried to close her mouth.

"_Bienvenida al infierno_," Regina said just as plainly.

"Which means...?"

Regina cackled unamused. "Welcome to hell, my darling."

"Oh. Right. Thank you," Emma said and struggled to comprehend what she was seeing when looking out of the window. This made her parents mayoral "mansion" back in Storybrooke seem almost laughable. Emma suspected that her parents' house easily could have fitted twice inside one of the enormous "villas" here. She knew that Regina's father had "earned well" on his restaurant, but holy shit, this was a bit overwhelming. Okay, more than a bit overwhelming. She was starting to understand why Regina had been so nervous about meeting her parents. She had thought "mayor" and had naturally assumed that Emma came from something that was similar to what she came from. But really, there was no comparison at all. This was extreme. That was the only word for it. Emma could easily imagine the haughty Cora Mills ruling this neighborhood and being the queen reigning in one of these ridiculously big houses. But Henry? No. Emma couldn't imagine that kind, gentle man living in one of these houses. He wasn't the type at all. He had to have acted solely on his wife's demands when buying this place.

"We moved here when I was eight," Regina said more to the window than to Emma. "And I don't recall playing much with any of the other children living here. I think I was scared of the big houses at first."

"That sounds like a pretty fair reaction," Emma said. She was an adult, and she too was "scared" of the big houses.

Regina abruptly pulled over and narrowly avoided bumping the front wheel against the pavement. "You don't mind hanging out here for a second, do you?"

"Not at all," Emma said. "Are you alright?"

"I feel sick, but I'm pretty sure that's all in my head," Regina said jokingly and did her best to laugh.

"Just take your time, sweetheart," Emma said softly. "No rush."

But unfortunately their moment of peace was interrupted when an elderly lady crossed the street and stopped to stare at Regina's car.

"That's _señora Fernández_," Regina told her. "She used to babysit me a lot when I was a kid. She always fed me carrot sticks instead of chocolate. At the time I hated her for it, but now I'm actually sort of grateful."

Emma chuckled quietly.

"Anyway," Regina continued with feigned briskness. "Onwards we go. Sitting here won't exactly make this any easier." She started the car again, and onwards they went. Until they reached the end of the street. And an enormous, three-storied white mansion with an iron fence and a medieval looking iron gate. Behind the gate and fence, Emma could see an enormous swimming pool that was lit up. For a moment she focused on that instead of looking at the actual house. No doubt that place was intimidating. Of all the houses on this street, 'the Mills Manor' appeared to be the biggest one. Even had a tower room and everything.

"Wow," Emma said plainly.

Regina followed her gaze to the tower room and chuckled humorlessly. "That's my old room."

"Of course it is," Emma said and tried once again to put a humorous spin on the conversation. "And did you also happen to have really long hair, Rapunzel?"

"No, but Mother Gothel did sometimes throw away the key," Regina said, going along on the joke and clearly not thinking much about her words.

But Emma sure did. "Excuse me, what did you say?!"

"Never mind."

"What do you mean, never mind?!" Emma hissed. "Are you saying that your mom _LOCKED_ you in your room?"

"No, that's not at all what I'm saying. I said, 'never mind'," Regina said, chuckling humorlessly again.

Emma accepted that Regina didn't want to talk about it anymore, but she was still fuming. If what Regina had just said was true and she had been locked in by her mother...

"Up we go," Regina jokingly interrupted Emma's train of thoughts, and she actually had a point with the joke. The street was a bit hilly here, Emma noted. If you squinted, it could definitely seem like this house was overlooking all the other properties. Regina hadn't been exaggerating. Cora Mills really was the queen here. The queen of this house, the queen of this street. Or, she had been. One could almost wonder why the wicked woman hadn't made any attempts to keep the house and get Regina's father to leave. Emma knew that Cora was materialistic, and now as she looked at the "mansion", she couldn't quite believe that Regina's mother was willing to give up this luxury for the waiter she had been cheating with. Despite not knowing Cora Mills that well, Emma knew that it was out of character for her. She knew because Regina had wondered about the same thing. Why her mother so willingly wanted to leave this place. And with a waiter. Below her standard, Regina had once sneered and then rolled her eyes at her mother's snobbery.

Emma was brought out of her speculations about Cora and her mysterious motives when Regina stretched her hand out through the open window and pressed a buzzer on the handy-dandy and most likely expensive intercom that was on the gate. Taking a closer look at the house, Emma could see all the security cameras that was spread out on almost every surface. Yeah, this was definitely a place for thieves. And probably a place where you got hung for stealing as well, she jokingly thought to herself and snorted out a laughter.

"_Mija_," came Henry's soft voice over the intercom. "Come on in."

The metal gate opened without a sound, and Regina drove through it and onto the enormous driveway where two other cars were parked. A silver grey Aston Martin and a vintage looking black Mercedes. Emma recognized that car as belonging to Henry, and she immediately deduced that the Aston Martin belonged to Cora Mills. Jesus Christ. An Aston Martin, really? Was that seriously necessary? Emma doubted it.

"There we are," Regina announced as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wanna go into the lion's den with me, _querida_?"

"I'd walk through freaking fire if that's what you needed me to do," Emma said simply, unbuckling her own seatbelt.

"Well, hold that thought," Regina snickered. "Because in a moment you'll be facing off against a dragon. How's that?"

"Ready or not, here I come," Emma went along on the joke. But she quickly grew somber when she looked at the way Regina's eyes had clouded over with concern. Emma released her grip on the car door and leaned in so she could brush her lips against Regina's cheek. "Hey. I love you. You know that, right?"

"_Sí. _I love you too, _querida_."

Emma smiled and went in to kiss Regina on the cheek a second time, but Regina sneakily turned her head, so the kiss landed on her lips instead. Emma laughed softly. "Sneaky little minx."

"Kiss me again," Regina murmured. "I could use a bit of extra courage. And I'm here to make scandal anyway."

"Well, in that case, have all the courage you want. And scandal," Emma said. Then she brushed her lips against Regina's again. Regina hummed into the kiss and her soft, warm hands came up to cup Emma's cheeks.

Emma momentarily forgot why they were there. For a brief moment, the only plan with this car ride had been to pull over somewhere and kiss Regina senseless. But then she remembered that they were actually here for a reason, and after another minute or so of kissing, she brushed her nose against Regina's, pulled back and then smiled at the younger woman.

"Now I can do anything," Regina said simply and opened the car door. "Come on. Let's go inside."

Emma followed her girlfriend outside and while gently slamming the car door behind her, she noted that Regina's old babysitter was still standing on the pavement. And judging by the look on her face, she had seen them kiss each other in the car. Emma felt so utterly tempted to march right over there and asked if she had a problem or something, but then again, confronting a neighbor probably wasn't the best way to start this little "confrontation". She bit her tongue and focused on following Regina as she went up the lavish cobblestone pathway towards the little steps leading up to the front door.

Regina's posture was stiff as she went up the little steps. She took a breath and then used her fist to knock on the door rather than using the doorbell or the golden lion door knocker. Emma glanced at it for a second and thought to herself that it probably was made of actual gold. God, what a place.

Approximately ten seconds went by before Regina's father opened the door. And to Emma's relief, the elderly man still looked every bit as kind. His brown eyes radiated warmth as he looked at his daughter. He smiled, but the smile quickly turned into wonder as his gaze set on Regina's curved stomach. "Oh, _Mija_." Not an ounce of disappointment. Not a hint of judgement. Surprise, yes definitely. But no anger whatsoever. Emma breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"_Hola, papi_," Regina greeted and flashed her dad a nervous little smile.

"_Oh cariño ¡Ven aca!_" Henry said as he engulfed Regina in what could only be described as a bear-hug. "_¿Cómo te sientes querida?_"

"_Estoy bien, papi_," Regina chuckled. "_¿Y cómo estás?_"

"_Bien, bien_," Henry assured. He gave Regina two kisses, one on each cheek, and then turned his attention to Emma. "Ahh, Emma," he smiled. "It is wonderful to see you again, my dear."

"Hi, Henry," Emma said warmly. "It's nice to see you too." to her surprise and delight, she too was engulfed in a hug. And given a kiss on each cheek. She hadn't expected that, but she definitely wasn't unhappy about it either. Robert and Milah Gold had wrinkled their ugly noses in disdain and only tolerated her because she was the mayor's daughter and "appropriate company" for their son status-vise. It meant a lot that Henry's dad accepted her for who she was rather than what she was.

"Come in, come in," Henry said warmly. "The tea is ready!"

"And I bet Mother is too," Regina said lowly.

"_Sí_, your mother is here too," Henry said seriously. "But I've asked her to bear in mind that this is supposed to be a pleasant family get together without accusations or harsh words."

Regina chuckled. "You are sweet, daddy, but I don't think she'll bear that in mind at all."

Henry said nothing, but his smile faltered a tad as he stepped aside to let them in. Emma looked around in the enormous hallway. There was a large oak staircase, thick, expensive looking carpets on the floor, a large chandelier with actual candles dangling from the ceiling, and beautiful landscape pictures on the wall. Once again, Emma had to keep her jaw in place.

"I will go and put the cake on the table," Henry announced, smiling as he patted Regina's cheek again. "I made cheesecake."

"You did?" Regina said. Her eyes sparkled. "That sounds good, daddy."

"I knew you'd be happy," he said and chuckled as he went into what Emma guessed was the living room. She heard muffled voices coming from in there. One gentle and warm, one cold and snappy. No doubt Regina's mother was waiting for her daughter. Emma squared her shoulders and tried to distract herself from her murderous thoughts by looking around in the hallway one more time. It wasn't just fancy art there was hanging on the wall. Emma was immediately drawn to a large framed photo of an adorable, chubby cheeked and dark eyed one year old. Emma shuffled a bit closer and smiled when she examined the image of the curly haired baby wearing a white dress and a big white bow in her dark curls. The baby was smiling widely for the camera, and Emma aww'ed to herself. She had definitely seen that smile before.

Next to her, Regina groaned quietly.

But Emma chuckled. "Is that you?"

"_Sí_, unfortunately," Regina said, wrinkling her nose. "I've asked daddy to take it down a number of times, but he refuses."

"Of course he does. You look so adorable! Just look at you!" Emma gushed.

"I look like a stupid little doll," Regina mumbled.

"You do not! You look absolutely perfect! Cutest kid ever!"

"Urgh," Regina just said, prompting Emma to chuckle softly. Maybe her own mom had lots of photo albums filled with pictures of her, but Regina's father had a large gold-framed picture of baby Regina. That was even better. And Henry clearly also had a picture of a woman who appeared to have been a carbon copy of Regina. Same dark hair and eyes. Same smile. And in the picture she had even tied her hair back with a red scarf exactly like Regina had tonight.

"_Mi abuela__,_" Regina said softly. "Elena."

"You look just like her, babe."

"_Sí_, so I've been told," Regina quipped. "Ready to continue into the living room?"

"Yeah," Emma said a bit sheepishly when realizing that she was the reason they were still lingering in the hallway. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked: "do I take off my shoes, or...?"

"No-no," Regina half-laughed. "There's no need for that at all."

"Alright then," Emma said and couldn't help but feel a bit bad for wearing shoes on the thick, Persian rug.

They headed through the French doors and into the living room. Which just so happened to be as large as a ballroom. And very, very white too. White walls. White curtains. White carpets (once again Emma felt bad because of her shoes), white furniture's, white plasma flatscreen on the wall, and an impressive white fireplace that appeared to have been carved out in some kind of stone. White bookshelves crammed with Spanish titles Emma couldn't read, but there were also a few English titles here and there. Even the knickknack on the bookshelves and mantelpiece were white, and Emma thought to herself that if the living room hadn't changed style since Regina was little, being a child in this room must have been awful. Imagine spilling something on the couch or the carpet. That would have to have been an absolute nightmare. The room would have been incredibly colorless if it hadn't been for all the framed photographs on the white walls. All of them framed in gold and with the exact year and date. All of them of Regina in various stages. There were baby Regina in her father's arms. She was nothing more but a bundle with tufts of dark hair and she couldn't be much older than a day or maybe even a couple of hours. Henry's hair were thicker and darker, and his eyes were shining with love for the tiny bundle in his arms. Emma tried to not aww out loud as she let her gaze roam over the pictures. One year old Regina sitting on a high chair and grinning. Two year old Regina picking flowers. Three year old Regina on her father's lap. Four year old Regina with braids standing on a stool and watching as her father cooked. Five year old Regina on a bicycle. Six year old Regina with something that looked like her first schoolbag. Then followed pictures of seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven year old Regina. Seven year old Regina were holding up a pair of tiny dancing shoes and grinning broadly at the camera. Eight year old Regina's hair was longer and separated into two long plaids. Nine year old Regina was wearing a kid-version of her now recognizable flamenco dress and smiling proudly at the camera. The picture of ten year old Regina were clearly taken on her birthday. She was blowing out candles on a lavish cake. Eleven year old Regina looked well on her way to puberty. Her attitude was a bit defiant. Twelve year old Regina had braces on her teeth. Thirteen year old Regina plain refused to smile at the camera. Same rule applied for fourteen and fifteen year old Regina. Sixteen year old Regina had a sadness in her eyes, and seventeen year old Regina looked extremely guarded. The most recent picture were taken on Regina's twentieth birthday, Emma could see from the date. She and her dad were standing closely together and smiling widely at the camera, and Emma suddenly realized that there weren't any pictures of Cora and Regina together. Not even from when Regina was a baby. How fucking odd was that?

"Reggie thinks I have too many pictures," Henry said warmly when he noticed Emma looking at the pictures.

"I think it's perfect," Emma smiled. The pictures were the center of the living room. Exactly like Regina undoubtedly was the center of her father's life.

Henry chuckled, but a slight sound behind him finally made Emma focus on the woman sitting on the couch. She was the only other thing breaking the white surface in this room. And definitely the person whose attire fitted the room best. Where Henry was dressed casually in a flannel button up and blue velvet pants, Cora was wearing a black pantsuit. Black, wide-legged trousers, black blazer with golden cufflinks, a Bordeaux blouse peeking out from underneath, and black, high heeled boots. Her dark brown hair had been elegantly coiffed, and her lips painted red. Her brown eyes (almost the exact same shade as Regina's) only showed very slight signs of crow's feet in the corners and were framed by dark lashes, and Emma thought to herself that Cora Mills was exactly as she remembered her. The quintessential "business woman" who did her best to come off as intimidating. Emma refused to be intimidated.

"Good evening, Mother," Regina said politely as she stepped forward and bowed her head in greeting. No hugs or kisses here.

"Oh, Regina," said Cora and shook her head as her gaze landed on her daughter's swelling belly. Where Henry's voice had radiated surprise and wonder, Cora's only radiated one thing. Sheer disappointment.

"How are you doing, Mother?" Regina continued. Still making no attempt to hug or kiss her mother.

"I am shocked," Cora said tightlipped and squinted slightly as she looked at Emma. "Good evening, miss Swan."

"Hi, Cora. Great to see you again," Emma said simply. She refused to be "miss Swan". She refused to let Cora Mills dictate how this night would progress.

Cora's mouth became a thin line as she eyed Emma. The blonde suspected that some sort of haughty retort was already laying on her tongue, but before Cora could say anything, Henry cut in:

"Let's sit down," he said, eying his ex-wife warningly. "I'll cut the cake and pour us some tea."

"Yes, Henry. Because tea and cake will undoubtedly solve everything," Cora sneered.

Henry ignored that and Emma and Regina sat down in the white armchairs. Henry served tea and cake, and pretending that this was just a normal, cozy family night was almost painful. The tension in the living room was already pretty palpable. Regina and Cora kept stealing glances at each other, clearly waiting for the other to throw the first barb.

"So, how are things in the restaurant, daddy?" Regina asked and took a sip of her tea.

"Very good," Henry replied eagerly. He too was pretending. "Felicidad, Paula's replacement is an excellent waitress."

"That's good," Regina said, smiling slightly. "I wouldn't want you to strain yourself. Now, what is this California business you talked about the last time? You want to expand business?"

"_Sí_, and if all goes well, I will open a restaurant in Malibu."

"How terrific," Regina said. "You'll let me know if you need any help, right?"

"Of course, _Cielo_," Henry said warmly, reaching forward and patting his daughter's hand. "But we'll see. There are lots of things that needs to fall into place first."

"Of course. I didn't think that you would just-"

"How far along are you?" Cora interrupted icily.

Emma saw how Regina immediately tensed and withdrew her hand from underneath her father's. "I am fourteen weeks plus a day," she said.

"Four months pregnant," Cora sneered. "And you've been keeping it from us for such a long time!"

Emma's head whipped around, and she had every intention of saying something to Cora, but Regina gently put a hand on her arm to stop her. "That was a mistake, Mother," she said calmly. "I should have told you sooner, I know. But I needed time to figure things out."

"Figure _WHAT_ out?" Cora sneered and tipped up her chin.

"Everything," Regina replied. "What'll happen in the future."

"It looks to me that the future is fairly written in stone," Cora snapped and took a sip of her tea. There was a slice of the delicious cheesecake laying on her plate, but she hadn't touched it, and Emma suspected that she wasn't planning on either. Cora Mills did not look like the type to enjoy cake. Or anything else for that matter.

"The future is never written in stone, Mother," Regina said patiently and took a sip of her own tea. The strangest passive aggressive gesture Emma ever had seen in her life.

Cora adjusted herself in the couch. Emma noticed that Henry had chosen the armchair next to Regina instead of sitting on the couch with his ex-wife. Cora really was the queen of this place, Emma thought to herself, but then her train of thoughts were interrupted when Cora elegantly crossed her ankles and leaned forward. Most likely to seem intimidating and stare her daughter down. "And the father of this... child?" she asked almost sweetly. "I assume it's the man with whom you had a short dalliance with shortly before miss Swan came to Spain?"

Regina visibly recoiled at that, but her voice was every bit steady when she said: "_sí._ It is."

"And has he been informed of your... condition?" Cora continued.

"No, he has not," Regina said tightly. "As you know from when you listened in the other room while I talked to daddy in confident-"

Now it was Cora's turn to look tightlipped.

"-He wasn't the most honest man," Regina continued. "And I don't think a man who has no qualms about tricking me and lying to his family deserves to be a father. I'm sure you agree with that. His wife is still harassing me, by the way. Thank you for asking."

"So you're planning on keeping his child from him?" Cora asked, now crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

"I'm planning on never seeing him again," Regina hissed. "Being a father takes a hell of a lot more than just..." she didn't finish the sentence and instead continued: "and what sort of father is a man who conveniently enough forgets all about his family to carry on with a woman he meets in a bar?"

Emma squeezed Regina's arm gently. Just to let her know that she was still there.

"He doesn't deserve anything!" Henry growled like an old bear. "And certainly not this baby!"

"Ever the supporting father," Cora said almost silkily. "No matter the situation."

"Cora..." Henry sighed and shook his head, but that didn't stop his ex-wife. She sneered in disdain as she turned her attention back to her daughter: "so, what is the plan, Regina, darling? Are you gonna raise this baby all on your own at the age of twenty? That's _very_ brave of you."

"I agree," Emma cut in and glared at Cora. "Your daughter IS very brave. But rest assure she'll never be all on her own, as you put it."

"How touching. Committing yourself to someone you haven't even known for six months and raise another man's baby like a little family?" Cora scoffed. "That's _very_ admirable of you, miss Swan. Playing the hero. Swooping in saving my daughter from... Well, I suppose you aren't really doing that. That family name will be stained no matter what." She clicked her tongue in disdain as she looked at Regina. "No ring on your finger and an illegitimate child."

"That is not what is going to happen!" Regina snapped. "There are options beyond that, Mother!"

"Options?" Cora echoed and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, dear, what other options exactly is it that you're talking about? You're too far along to have the child removed."

Regina flinched, and Henry growled: "Cora!" again. He reached out and took Regina's hand. "I'm sure Reggie has a plan. Don't you, Reggie?"

"_Sí_," Regina nodded, quickly collecting herself. "I've found a family. A very nice family who-"

"A _family_." Cora interrupted dully and Emma saw her eyes darken. "You've found a 'family'?"

"Yes," Regina said defiantly. "I have. They're good people and they want a baby more than anything."

"Oh, I _see_," Cora said, voice honey-sweet. "And how much are they paying you?"

"Hey!" Emma hissed.

"It's nothing like that, Mother," Regina said tightly. "It's a very official adoption agency with paperwork and everything. Nobody is selling anything."

"How wonderful," Cora said sarcastically. "So you've found a family who 'desperately' wants a child and saw an easy way out of our little pickle. Well, I suppose there are many ways one can run away from your responsibility."

"I am NOT running away from my responsibility!" Regina protested. "I'm doing the right thing."

"The _RIGHT _thing," Cora sneered. "You think-"

"Yes, the right thing, Mother," Regina interrupted. "You always go on and on about how irresponsible and immature I am. How terrible my way of living is. Now I'm doing the mature thing and admitting that I am not that. Isn't it better that the baby gets a family who can give it a proper home? A family with stable jobs. Trust me, this baby won't miss anything. It'll grow up safe and loved and cared for in any way possible. Isn't that the best thing for a child?"

Emma squeezed her arm again. God, Regina was so brave.

"Nevertheless, you are still sending my grandchild away to live with strangers!" Cora hissed. Her voice was rising in volume and going slightly pitchy as well.

"Well, what else do you want me to do, Mother?" Regina said tiredly. "You want the baby to grow up in my tiny apartment, hmm? Coming to work with me at the bar on the nights where I can't get a sitter?"

"You have other options!" Cora snapped. "Poor girls in trouble doesn't, but you are nothing like them, and you have options that doesn't include sending your child away to live with strangers!"

Regina glanced very briefly at her dad. Then turned her attention back to her mother and said dully: "daddy has his restaurants which craves more of him than any child ever could. You can't expect him to take care of a baby as well, Mother."

"Stupid girl!" Cora sneered. "I am not talking about your father!"

There was a beat of silence where Regina looked at her mother. And then she started laughing.

"For heavens sake, Regina!" Cora spat. "Are you incapable of taking anything seriously?!"

"I'm sorry, Mother, but for a moment it sounded like you were suggesting that you took the baby," Regina said, she was still chuckling without any real amusement.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" Cora said, folding her arms tightly across her chest again. "I am if any, this baby's next of kin. Regardless of your marital status- or lack of- this baby will be a Mills. And Mills children doesn't live with strangers. You'll give birth and then leave the baby with me. There will be no shame in it for you. You'll be free to do whatever you want, and your child will grow up well provided for." she leaned back triumphantly, smiling as though this surely would make Regina forget her previous plan.

But Regina shook her head once. "No," she said quietly.

The triumphant smile on Cora Mills' lips turned into a frightening grimace. "What did you say?"

"I said no," Regina replied. "I'm not gonna give the baby to you, Mother."

"And for what reasons exactly, young lady?!" Cora hissed. "Avoiding seeing the result of your actions every time you come home, perhaps?"

If it hadn't been for Regina's hand on her arm, Emma surely would have jumped to her feet and shook Cora roughly.

"That's how ashamed you are?!" Cora relentlessly continued. "You'd rather send your child away to live with strangers than to face the facts?"

"No," Regina said again. "I'd rather send the baby to live with a loving family than letting it live with YOU."

"_Mija_," Henry said softly, but Regina nor Cora didn't seem to notice it.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Cora snapped.

"It means that I want this baby to grow up safe and happy and have an amazing childhood."

"You had a wonderful childhood!"

"Did I?" Regina asked quietly.

"Of course you had," Cora huffed. "You always got everything you could possibly have wished for! What could you possibly have missed?!"

Regina laughed bitterly again. "I'm not gonna answer that, Mother. Instead I'm gonna ask you a question. Purely rhetorical, of course. Let's say that your grandchild is... oh, I don't know, seven years old and comes to you to apologize for having broken a vase by accident. How are you gonna react do that, Mother? Are you gonna accept the apology or are you gonna send your grandchild to bed without supper as punishment?"

Emma felt slightly sick.

"Or let's say that your grandchild is now ten years old and tells you that they want to be, I don't know, an artist instead of joining the family business," Regina continued. "Are you gonna cheer he or she on and encourage your grandchild to keep exploring their creativity, or are you gonna crush their dream and tell them that they'll never make anything of themselves?"

Cora's lips were turning white with anger. Henry said something in Spanish, but Regina didn't react to it. Her gaze was fixed on her mother's face as she continued: "And here's another scenario for you, Mother. Your grandchild is now sixteen year old. A teenager with hopes and dreams for the future. Let's say he or she came to you and told you that they think they might be bisexual. Or gay. Or pansexual. Or transgender. Or anything in between that doesn't fit into your little box of normalcy. How would you react to that? Would you give your grandchild a hug and tell him or her not to worry? Would you say to him or her that you would love them no matter who they were and who they l-loved? Or would you start yelling instead? Would you shame your grandchild for having kissed someone of the same gender as them? Would you tell them that it's sinful and won't be tolerated under your roof? Would you tell your PRECIOUS grandchild that something is wrong with them, because loving someone of the same gender is wrong?" Regina finished her speech and angrily wiped a stray tear away from her cheek.

Cora glared at her daughter. Her lips remained white and she didn't say anything. Didn't protest.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Regina said quietly. "_THAT'S_ why I'm choosing to send the baby away to "live with strangers". Because I grew up with you. With all of that. And I'm not gonna put another kid through that. Not ever. No one deserves to have their dreams crushed or be shamed for being anything but straight. It isn't for you to decide how anyone should live their life."

Cora sneered. "So this is about the Colinas girl again."

Regina sighed exasperated. "Mother, as long as you don't realize what you did back then was wrong, it'll _ALWAYS _be about Dani." She shot Emma a sideway glance. "I don't love Dani anymore, but I'll always resent you for what you did to us back then."

"She was nothing!" Cora yelled, suddenly loosing her temper completely. "She was just an insipid little maid who took advantage of her position here! She came from nothing and couldn't have given you anything!"

"Cora!" Henry shouted, jumping to his feet. "_¡Eso es suficiente!_"

"She was one of the few things who made living in this house just a little more bearable!" Regina yelled back. "And you took her from me! You made yourself the judge over who I should love, and I'm never gonna forgive you for that! Not ever!"

But Cora wasn't done. She didn't stand from the couch, but she did lean forward and jabbed a finger in Regina's face. "If you send your child away, you're going to regret it! You'll lie awake night after night and wish that you had chosen differently!"

"No, I won't!" Regina spat. She was trembling now. "I'll sleep peacefully knowing that the baby is growing up safe and loved and far, far away from YOU!"

"If you're going through with this," Cora said lowly. "If you insist upon making the wrong decision, I will not be a part of it, is that clear?! If you let strangers take my grandchild away, tonight will be the last time you've seen me!"

"CORA! _Tú estás siendo-_"

"So, you're saying that after tonight I won't have a mother anymore?" Regina interrupted. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes! That's _exactly_ what I'm saying!"

"Fine!" Regina said, abruptly standing from her chair and shaking from top to toe as she looked at her mother. "So be it! It's not like that would make much of a difference for me anyway!" then she spun around and stormed out of the living room as fast as her legs could carry her.

Henry breathed heavily like an angry bull as he looked at his ex-wife. "_Eres terrible_."

Cora didn't react to that in anyway.

"You are moving out." Henry continued. Quietly and deadly. "Tonight. This is the last time you're setting foot in this house, do you hear me? If I loose her over this, I am never going to forgive you." Then he followed Regina's example and sprinted out of the room. Most likely to console his daughter.

Left in the living room was only Cora and Emma. The blonde leaned back in the armchair and looked at the older woman sitting across from her. "Wow," she said plainly.

Cora actually flinched a little. Almost like she had forgotten that Emma was there too.

"You really think you have your reasons, don't you?" Emma continued and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't pretend to know anything about my reasons, miss Swan," Cora snapped. "Or my daughter, for that matter. You two barely know each other. Exactly like she didn't know Daniela Colinas. But that didn't stop her."

"There isn't a limit on how fast or slowly people fall in love," Emma pointed out.

Cora pursed her lips. "It's a sin. What she did with Daniela Colinas then was a sin, and what she's doing with you now is a sin."

"And why is it for you to decide what's a sin and what isn't?" Emma asked. "Isn't it more important that your daughter is with someone who cares for her?"

"I'm only trying to do what's best for her. Making sure she won't be shamed and ensuring she won't get hurt."

"Making her this upset isn't doing her any good. And certainly not in her condition."

Cora said nothing.

"And you're right, Regina and I haven't known each other for that long," Emma agreed, leaning forward and looking Cora dead in the eye. "But I do know enough about her to know that I love her. That I'll do anything in my power to support her no matter what."

Cora scoffed. "You've got nothing to offer her, miss Swan."

"Let me guess... Because I'm a woman?"

Again, Cora said nothing.

"You know, I'm puzzled," Emma said, scoffing too.

"What is it you find to be so _puzzling_, miss Swan?!" Cora had found her voice again.

"That someone as good and kind and pure as your daughter can sprout from someone like _you_," Emma said as she stood from the armchair. She crossed the floor, but when she was standing with one hand on the doorknob, she turned her head and looked back at Cora Mills who hadn't moved an inch. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself," she said simply. Then she left the Mills' manor to find Regina who was standing on the street. She was in tears and Henry had his arms around her. He was clearly trying his best to comfort her. Emma walked over to them and whispered soothing words until Regina's tears had dissolved into hiccupping. She nearly stumbled into Emma's arms, and as Emma held her tight, she glanced back at the Mills' Mansion. She felt nothing but anger and resentment towards the woman still inside the house.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Muy divertida, querida= very funny, darling.

Hola, papi= hey, daddy.

Oh cariño ¡Ven aca!= Oh, honey! Come here!

¿Cómo te sientes querida?= How do you feel, dear?

Estoy bien, papi= I'm fine, daddy.

Mi abuela= my grandmother.

Cielo= Sky

¡Eso es suficiente!= That's enough!

Tú estás siendo-= You are being-

Eres terrible= You are terrible.


	28. Chapter 28

It took a while before Regina's tears had been reduced to a level where she was capable of actually saying anything. And the first thing she said was that she wanted to go home.

Henry begged her to stay. He wanted both her and Emma to stay overnight, but Regina rejected that. She didn't want to stay in the house. Not after what had just occurred. At some point while she and Henry were negotiating, Cora Mills' grey Aston Martin suddenly sped away from the house. None of them had seen her come out of the house, and Henry growled that she probably had snuck out the backdoor.

"_Quiero ir a casa_," Regina mumbled and looked at Emma.

Henry squeezed his daughter's hands softly, said something in Spanish Emma couldn't recognize followed by a: "_por favor, Cielo_."

But Regina shook her head. "_No, solo quiero irme a casa_."

Henry squeezed her hands again. "Then promise me that you will call me tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Regina said meekly and hung her head. The gesture sort of reminded Emma of a dog who had just taken a beating, and Emma had to bite the inside of her cheek to stifle a growl. And the urge to follow Cora Mills and murder her.

Henry pulled Regina in for a hug and kissed her forehead. Whispered in her ear, but despite how quietly he was talking, Emma could still hear what he was saying: "_Es tu decisión, Reggie_."

Emma knew enough Spanish to know what that meant, and when she bit the inside of her cheek again it was to not weep of sheer relief when Henry Mills kissed his daughter's forehead and gently said: "yours and yours alone, _Cielo_. Your mother and her strong opinions cannot coerce you into making a decision that isn't right for you, remember that. And you have my support. Completely and always. Remember that."

"_Te quiero, papi_," Regina sniffled.

"_Yo también te quiero_," Henry said softly and brought his forehead to Regina's for a moment. "_Estoy aquí para ti. Lo que sea que necesites_."

That made Regina hiccup slightly again, and as Henry hugged her once more, he looked at Emma over her shoulder. "I'm terribly sorry about this, Emma. Cora can be very..."

"Yeah," Emma said. "Don't worry about me, though, Henry. I'm not the one who just..." she couldn't finish the sentence.

Regina made a sound that probably should represent a strangled laughter. "Are YOU ready to head back to my place, _querida_?"

"I am," Emma confirmed with a slight smile.

And so they bid Henry goodnight. Regina kissed his cheek and Emma was given a hug. They headed inside the car, buckled their seatbelts and then took off.

But they had only made it around the corner when Regina pulled over. "We'll continue in a moment," she said quickly. "I just need a second to-"

"I get it. You don't have to explain anything to me," Emma said gently, ignoring the way the seatbelt dug into her as she leaned in and kissed Regina's cheek. "Just take your time, sweetheart."

"I'm sorry for bolting out of the house like that," Regina said quietly. "I shouldn't have left you there, but I was just so-" she let out a sobbing sound. "She gets to me, Emma! She always gets to me!"

"It's okay," Emma said quickly and pecked Regina's cheek again. Her skin was salty on Emma's lips. Emma was quite literally kissing her tears away. "Staying behind those extra five seconds meant that I got to hear your dad kick your mom out of the house."

Regina's head snapped up and she raised an eyebrow. "He did that?"

"Yeah, he basically told her to piss off and not ever come back," Emma told her girlfriend. "Okay, maybe not in those exact words, but the meaning behind it was definitely the same. And I might have said something to her too."

"You did? What did you say?" Regina asked a bit nasally. Like you would speak when your nostrils are blocked.

"Uhh... I might have said that she ought to be ashamed of herself," Emma admitted and quickly checked herself. Did she feel guilty for saying that to Regina's mother?

Nah. She didn't.

Regina chuckled hoarsely as she opened the glovebox and found a couple of tissues. "That was very brave of you," she said. "I can't imagine her being very happy about that."

"She wasn't," Emma said and decided not to tell Regina that Cora had called their relationship 'a sin'. Regina was upset enough already.

"And good for my dad," Regina continued. "He has never asked her to buzz off before. Not even when he found out that she was cheating." She blew her nose and made a face. "I'm a complete mess."

"No you're not."

Regina ignored that and let out an unamused chuckle. "Well, that was my mother. Delightful, isn't she?"

"Definitely in a league of her own!" Emma growled.

Regina chuckled hoarsely once more. "God, she's worse than Norman Bates when he's dressed as his mother!"

It was Emma's turn to chuckle lightly.

"It's funny, really," Regina continued and grabbed a new tissue to dab underneath her eyes. "Every time I takes charge of my life and think that I have things figured out, my mother pops up and convinces me that I haven't got a clue what I'm doing."

"Well, that's simply not true!"

"Do you think she's right though?" Regina asked and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Is this something I'll regret every day for the rest of my life?"

"The decision is yours and she has no right question it. She should have been there for you instead. Supported you unconditionally. That's what mothers should do for their children."

"_Sí_, that's what mother's should," Regina repeated and sniffled slightly. "_Es mi vida._"

"You're right. It is." Emma gave her hand a little squeeze.

"I don't understand where all this grandmother-stuff is suddenly coming from," Regina continued. "The only interest mother took in me was when she wanted me to act and look like a little princess. She wasn't... she never wanted to play with me or hug or kiss me or any of that. She never saw me. She never had any interest in being a mother to be. Not even when I was a baby. Why should it be any different with my baby?"

Emma said nothing. The words stuck in her throat when she realized that Regina had just said "my baby".

"_Alessandra _and_ Sofía's_ baby," Regina corrected and shook her head. "_Dios mio_, she has a way of confusing me sometimes!" she sighed heavily. "I hate her. Does that sound terrible?"

"No," Emma said truthfully. "She's a very difficult person to love."

"Probably because she doesn't love herself or some philosophical bullshit like that," Regina as she checked her appearance in the mirror and used a finger to wipe underneath her right eye where her mascara had ran. "I can't remember ever seeing her happy. Not once. I've spent so much time on worrying why that is. Or why I have never seen her show affection towards my dad..." she shook her head again. "I wonder why she's even still in Spain? She was supposed to have gone to New York a week ago. Maybe she postponed it because she thought she was going to play grandma-" she snorted unamused. "Oh, well. At least Cora isn't my problem. Not anymore."

"Regina-"

"You heard her, _querida_," Regina gently interrupted and gave Emma's hand a little pat. "She cut me off. That's not something she has done before. But I think that's for the best. We'll never see eye to eye. I'll do far better without her in my life. The only person I feel sorry for in this is my dad. He hates when we argue."

"He did some pretty good arguing himself tonight," Emma said. "He told her that if he lost you, he would never forgive her."

Regina chuckled wetly. "My sweet dad. He could never loose me. I'll make sure to tell him that when I talk to him tomorrow." She gave another slight chuckle. "Good thing I didn't tell Cora that the baby's parents is a gay couple. She would probably have gotten a heart attack."

"Probably, yeah," Emma said and noted that Regina had called her mother "Cora" a second time now. Emma had a feeling that it probably was a permanent thing now. No more 'Mother'. Just plain Cora. No emotion. No familiarity. Just an anonymous name.

"We should get going," Regina said and squared her shoulders slightly.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Emma asked gently and cupped Regina's cheek. "We can wait a little longer. There's no rush at all."

"I want to go home. Before one of the neighbors gets nosy," Regina said dryly.

Emma nodded a little and kept her eyes on Regina as she started the car and steered it down the road. All the things that had been said tonight swirled around in Emma's mind, and the more she thought about it, the angrier with Cora Mills she got.

"Why are you giving me such an angry look?" Regina asked and sounded insecure.

"Sorry," Emma said quickly. "I am definitely not angry with you. Never. I was just thinking about something that makes me angry."

"And what was that?"

"The fact that your mo- Cora did so many terrible things to you when you were younger... sending you to bed without supper... bring you down when you wanted to do something different with your life... take Daniela away from you and turn you away when you came out as bisexual."

"_Querida_," Regina said gently and shot Emma a quick sideway glance. "It's so long ago now. And I'm sorry I said all of that in front of you. I wish I hadn't, but whenever Cora and I are in the same room, I tend to run my mouth. The anger just comes bubbling and I can't control it."

"And I'm glad you couldn't," Emma said firmly. "Life is not always rainbows and butterflies, and there's no reason for us to pretend that it is. I mean, I had literally been screwed over by my fiancé when we met." She gave a little chuckle.

Regina chuckled too. "At least I'm free of her now. I'm free to live my life how I want. Unplanned pregnancy and no ring on my finger and all..."

"Yeah, she seemed pretty focused on that," Emma half-growled.

"_Sí_, Cora is nothing if not traditional. If I had a ring on my finger, it would at least have taken away _some_ of the shame in getting pregnant on a whim..." Regina snorted and shook her head, but her eyes still looked a bit misty. "Let's get home. I'm absolutely beat."

"Me, too," Emma said and goofily added: "I'll carry you to bed when we get back."

Regina smiled, and that was exactly the reaction Emma had hoped for. "There it is," she said softly. "That elusive, yet satisfied smile I think about every time I close my eyes."

"You do NOT think about me every time you close your eyes," Regina mumbled and blushed a little.

"Yes, I do," Emma said firmly, gently leaning over so she could touch Regina's cheek. Still a bit moist. The tears hadn't dried completely. Or perhaps it was fresh tears. "It's okay to be upset about this, sweetheart."

"I'm not upset," Regina said, and she sounded so unconvincing it could have been funny had the situation been any different.

"Yes, you are. I know what you're thinking. And it's Cora who has a problem. Not you."

Regina ignored that. "You do not know what I'm thinking," she said instead.

"Sure I do. With you, I always know."

Regina's next smile was a bit more wobbly. But she held her head high and stared straight out of the window. Driving a bit faster. Emma had a feeling that she wanted to go home as quickly as possible, and the blonde more than understood that. Regina's childhood home was definitely beautiful and lavish and everything, but it was obvious that it didn't hold very good memories for Regina. At least not when it came to Regina's mother. Her dad on the other hand... he had basically filled every inch of the wall with pictures of Regina. He adored her, and Emma knew that he would support her no matter what. The picture of a teenage Regina with braces on her teeth suddenly popped up in Emma's mind, and she chuckled softly to herself.

"_¿Qué?_" Regina asked. "Is there a joke? Because if there is, I could really need a laugh right now."

"No, sorry, there's no joke. I was just thinking about that picture of you when you were thirteen."

Regina groaned. "I've tried to make him take that picture down a million times!"

"You looked so cute with braces on your teeth," Emma said warmly. "I loved it. I loved seeing all the pictures. Including the one of your grandmother. You do look a lot like her."

"Maybe I can ask daddy to bring the album the next time," Regina mused.

"That could be fun. I would love to see more pictures of her."

Regina smiled a little. "I'll ask him when I talk to him tomorrow."

"Awesome!"

When they came back to Regina's apartment, they pretty much went to bed right away. Emma tried to coax Regina into eating something, because she hadn't had a lot to eat for dinner and she had barely touched the cheesecake her dad had served for her, but Regina rejected it. She said that she wasn't hungry, and Emma chose not to push the subject. Regina had already been pushed plenty tonight.

She wasn't sleeping either. She said that she was tired, but when they went to bed and she had curled up in a ball like she always did, Emma knew a hundred percent that Regina wasn't asleep. She spooned the younger woman to let her know that she was there if she needed to talk, but Regina remained silent.

Emma fought valiantly to stay awake long enough to start a conversation, to say something that would bring Regina out of her silent-mode but unfortunately, she ended up dozing off. She simply couldn't stay awake. So much had happened tonight. Anger tended to make Emma incredibly sleepy, and lords knows that she had been angry tonight. Very, very angry. Her state of post-anger tiredness and the feeling of Regina's warm, warm body next to her own was simply too much. Even though Emma struggled to stay awake, there was nothing she could do when she felt herself growing heavier and heavier, warmer and warmer.

She conked off as though she had been shot dead. With her body shaped so it enveloped Regina's smaller one, and a hand on the side of Regina's growing belly...

When she woke up again, Regina's bedroom was completely dark, and Emma could only faintly see the contour of Regina's "ball-like" shape. And right now, that ball like shape was laying several inches away from Emma's. Emma's lips pursed when she realized that her hand wasn't on Regina's belly anymore. And her heart broke a little bit when realizing that Regina seemed to be shaking under the blankets.

She reached out and put a hand on Regina's shoulder. "Hey, are you awake?"

"_Sí_," Regina mumbled, voice rough and trembling.

"Are you upset?" Emma asked gently.

"_N-no_," Regina whispered, and the came out as a sob.

Emma's stomach dropped- She didn't want to think about how long Regina had been laying awake and silently crying in the darkness. "Come here," she said softly, sliding closer to Regina so she could envelope her in her arms. "God, come here, you! Don't lie there and cry, beautiful girl." She took Regina in her arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Regina openly sniffled now. "M-maybe you should go back to Maine."

"_What_?!" Emma hissed. "No fucking way!"

"I want you to be happy here," Regina whispered. "I want it to be a good time for us, and this is ruining everything. My drama is always ruining-"

"Okay, stop," Emma said gently but firmly. "It's like what we talked about. Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies. And I'm your girlfriend. Not a holiday fling. I'm here for all of it. Not just the fun stuff."

Regina sniffled. "Maybe Cora's right, though. Maybe I don't have the first clue about what I'm doing. Maybe I AM running away from my responsibility-"

"Stop it! That's just her being in your head, sweetheart. You have every clue about what you're doing. You're handling this with a maturity most people wouldn't have the surplus to muster, but you're doing it. Because you're smart and sensible and taking control over your life, so don't let her make you think otherwise!"

Regina chuckled wetly. "She has managed to make me feel like a 1950's girl who has gotten in trouble and has to live with the shame of being unmarried and without a ring on my finger."

Emma laughed along with her, but nevertheless gave her a squeeze. "You're not in trouble, and there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Keep telling me that," Regina half-joked. "Convince me that Cora isn't right."

"She isn't. I am. At all times."

Regina chuckled again. "At all times?"

"Yep. I'm always right no matter what," Emma joked.

Another chuckle. "I'm not so sure about that, _querida_."

"You're right. Agreeing to marry Neal was a huge no-no," Emma grinned. "But except for that, I'm always right."

Regina's chuckles turned into a genuine laugh now, and Emma gently turned her around, so they were face to face. She brought her forehead to Regina's for a moment. "How come you always smell so good?"

"Special talent?" Regina suggested with a small grin.

"You have many special talents, beautiful girl."

"_Sí_. And getting in trouble and making drama is one of-"

"Nope." Emma silenced her girlfriend by pressing a small kiss to her lips. "You're not in trouble, and you're not creating drama. Shush."

"YOU shush," Regina laughed against Emma's lips.

"Rude," Emma teased. "Should I smack you for that?"

Even in the darkness, she could see how Regina blushed. "Shut up," she mumbled.

Emma clicked her tongue jokingly, but her movements were nothing but gentle as she swiped a finger over Regina's still wet cheeks.

"Hormones," Regina said and grimaced. "I thought I was done crying about tonight, but apparently not."

Emma placed two small kisses on each of Regina's cheeks. "There's a special place in hell for people who upsets pregnant women," she growled, pulling Regina a little closer so her face was almost buried in Emma's tanktop.

Regina chuckled muffled against her shirt. "You smell good too. Of cinnamon."

"Well, that's not too bad, is it?"

"No. It definitely is not. I love the smell of cinnamon."

"I'll remember to spray a little extra perfume on the shirt you stole before I leave."

"I don't wanna talk about you leaving right now," Regina mumbled.

"Fair enough. I don't wanna talk about that either." Emma gently cupped the back of Regina's head and brought her other hand up so she could brush her fingers through Regina's soft tresses.

Regina made a sort of purring sound and a slurred: "feels nice", and Emma chuckled and kept up the hair-playing until she felt Regina's body going limp against her own. Finally, Regina could the sleep her body needed lots of these days.

Emma too fell asleep. With her fingers in Regina's hair and dreaming that she gave Cora a good shaking...

When she woke up the next morning, it was to Regina sitting up in bed and being on the phone. From her gentle tone and her smiles, Emma quickly deduced that she was talking to her dad. Emma sleepily lifted her head and placed a kiss on the only part of Regina she could reach from this position. Which happened to be her right ankle.

Regina giggled a little and immediately excused it in the phone. Whatever her dad replied had to be funny, because she giggled lightly once more.

Emma sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Pushed her hair away from her face, and by the time she could see the world again, Regina was done being on the phone.

"Daddy sends his love," she told Emma. "He called to apologize on Mo- _Cora's _behalf. Which was sweet but not quite the same as if she had told me herself. But she'll never do that." Regina put the phone down and stretched her arms above her head. "Mmm! I think I've slept funny." She yawned and rubbed her face.

Emma held her tongue. Regina had slept funny for sure. She had even talked in her sleep. Something about her mother. Something about a ring on her finger. Emma hadn't been able to decipher all of it.

"And he also called to ask me to come and live in the house through the rest of the pregnancy," Regina continued and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

"Oh," Emma said surprised and touched at Henry's gesture. Regina so obviously had his full support, and he wanted her close. He wanted to look after her. "And what did you say?"

"I said no," Regina replied. "It may sound harsh, but daddy has his own life. I know that he would love having me there, and I know we could have lots of fun together, we always do, but he's finally free of my mother. He's not gonna start that freedom by worrying about me. That's not how I want his new start to go." she sighed. "He offered me money too. Which I also turned down. Maybe that was stupid, but I want to prove that I can do this. Cora made it sound like I was incapable of taking control of my own life, and I guess I want to prove her wrong."

"I get it," Emma nodded. "But please promise me that you WILL tell either me or your dad if you ever need something."

"Daddy said the same," Regina chuckled. "He wants to hire me to work at his restaurant. He called it an 'ordinary job', but I bet he would come up with some not-quite-real work that isn't straining for me. I think he said: 'remember to rest' at least a million times," she chuckled again. "Isn't he sweet?"

"He is," Emma nodded. "And he and I agrees on many things. Mainly the part where we're worried sick that you should strain yourself."

"I'll take care of myself," Regina said softly. "I promise. Anyway, daddy would like to stop by before you go back to Maine. I told him that would be okay, and it is, isn't it?" she rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled a little as she added: "him and that photo album."

"Of course," Emma assured. "I adore your father, sweetheart. And I'd like the chance to talk to him without...Cora interfering."

"I think he felt the same way," Regina said and looked a tad thoughtful before perking up and smirking at Emma: "are you ready to go to _El Rastro_?"

"Are you sure you feel up for that?" Emma blurted before she could stop herself.

"_Por supuesto_," Regina said lightly. "I've been looking forward to churros all night! Come on, _querida_! Get out of bed."

Emma grinned as she climbed out of bed. There was that excitement she so adored. Regina was clearly determined to bounce back from Cora's "attack" last night, and Emma was more than willing to help her with it. But she was also very willing to be there if Regina got upset again. It was in no way necessary for Regina to feign being happy if she really was upset about what had happened. She was allowed to be upset. Anyone, pregnant or not would be upset after having received such a verbal lashing from their own mother. There were those murderous thoughts about Cora again, and Emma tried her best to banish them from her mind as she watched Regina potter around in the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be taking a shower, slowpoke?" Regina teased, and Emma nodded, smiled and pulled herself together.

"I should," she agreed and slipped an arm around Regina, pressing a quick kiss to her temple.

"Go on then," Regina half-chuckled and gave Emma a little nudge. "Off you pop."

"Yes, ma'am," Emma joked, giving Regina another little squeeze before sauntering into the bathroom. She chuckled when hearing Regina scold her in Spanish. Emma didn't know what she was saying, but it was still amusing, nevertheless.

While Emma showered, Regina made breakfast, and by the time the blonde was done and stepped out of the shower, the smell of bacon came before anything else. Emma sniffed appreciatingly into the air and followed her instinct. And the smell. She forgot all about clothes and towels and just wandered back to the kitchen. With her hair dripping all over, and not to mention... Stark naked.

Regina choked ungracefully on her tea and spluttered. "_¡Oh Dios mío!_ Okay. I was not expecting that."

"You've made bacon!" Emma exclaimed. Food was still the most important thing in the world. Especially if that food happened to be bacon.

"_Sí. _Not that it's in anyway important right now, but yes. I...did," Regina said halfheartedly and seemed to be trailing off completely. She definitely had a hard time keeping her eyes on Emma's face. Her gaze kept dropping a little lower.

Emma grinned. "Something on your mind honey?" she didn't mind Regina's wandering eyes one bit. She found it to be ridiculously hot. Regina always got a particular look in her dark eyes. Emma could have written poetry about that look. And those eyes.

"_Sí_. My hormones are raging, and I wish I had the energy to do something about it!" Regina complained and muttered under her breath about her missing sex drive and how annoying she found it to be.

Emma grinned again. "I've got plenty of time, sweetheart. In fact I've got all the time in the world when it comes to that. And you."

"Good to know. In the meantime, could you just... put something on? I keep choking on my tea."

"Fine. I'll get dressed," Emma surrendered with a grin.

"Hurry."

Emma laughed all the way to the bathroom and even more so when she heard Regina yell: "you shouldn't be rattling a pregnant woman like that!" after her. Emma felt very satisfied. She hadn't exactly planned on appearing naked in the kitchen, but the look on Regina's face had been entirely worth it. Walking around naked was something she could actually do here in Regina's apartment. There were no one else around to get shocked. But maybe Emma should time it a little better, so she didn't end up accidentally making Regina choke. Emma had no interest in accidentally murdering her girlfriend. Still chuckling to herself, Emma slipped on her bra and panties and then pulled the yellow sundress over her head. Wearing something so light as this dress almost felt strange after freezing her ass off in Storybrooke. The warmth was one of the many things Emma so appreciated about Spain.

"_Querida_? Your bacon is getting cold!"

"Be right there," Emma assured and smiled. And that was another thing she appreciated about Spain. She wandered back to the kitchen where Regina seemed very relieved that she had gotten dressed. But her cheeks were still a bit pink, though. Emma liked it. And she liked the fact that Regina was eating breakfast. She had been a little worried last night when Regina didn't want to eat.

"Bottoms up," Regina quipped as she popped the prenatal vitamin inside her mouth and downed it with half a glass of water.

Emma chuckled softly. It was obvious that Regina was feeling better than she did last night. That was something else to be relieved about.

Once they had breakfast and Regina had showered and gotten dressed, they left the apartment and hopped into Regina's car to drive to _El Rastro_. Regina was behind the wheel again. She was wearing a purple halter neck dress and a pair of big sunglasses. And of course she was wearing purple flowers in her hair. She looked amazing. Like a beautiful, exotic jewel, and Emma silently wondered how it was possible to fall more and more in love with each day passing. Everything that Cora had said last night was complete and utter bullshit. To imply that Emma couldn't be in love because she hadn't known Regina that long was ridiculous. Emma was in love and very much, thank you. It didn't matter that she had known Regina less than six months. It didn't make her feelings less true. You couldn't exactly chose how quick or how slow you fell in love. Emma thought of her own mother. She had fallen in love with Emma's father on the second date. And according to him, he had been ready to propose to her on the third date. Emma found that to be exceptionally cute. So old fashioned and fairytale-esque. And to imagine that her parents had been married for thirty years. Thirty years and still as in love as ever. That was pretty amazing. Her parents constantly said I love you to each other, always showed affection. Hand-holding across the table or kissing in the kitchen when making dinner together. The kissing thing always used to bother Emma when she was younger, but now she found to be admirable. Imagine to have been married for thirty years and still be completely besotted with one another. That was actually one hell of an achievement.

"Penny for your thoughts, _querida_?" Regina asked softly and gave Emma's hand a little pat. "You alright?"

"Mmm, I'm fine. I'm with you," Emma said simply.

Regina laughed. "That's awfully mushy of you."

"You bring out the mushy in me," Emma teased.

Regina shook her head, and Emma was sure she was rolling her eyes behind the sunglasses.

"It's a beautiful day," Emma commented. It was indeed. The sun was shining from a clear blue sky, and there was only a light breeze.

"It is," Regina agreed. "Must be because you've come to Spain."

"Look who's going mushy now," Emma laughed and gave Regina's bare knee a little squeeze.

"I'm allowed. I'm pregnant. I'm full of hormones. You however have no excuse whatsoever," Regina pointed out and grinned wickedly.

"Sympathy hormones?" Emma suggested. "Is that a worthy excuse?"

"No. Not even in the slightest," Regina giggled. "But I'll take it anyway. Because you're awfully sweet..."

"And sexy too, right?" Emma asked innocently.

"Yes, dear," Regina said a tad overbearingly. "I'm trying to drive and not think about your naked body while drive. And you're not helping at all."

"Sorry not sorry," Emma said with a smirk as she reached across to give Regina's knee another little squeeze.

"If I crash the car, I'll blame you," Regina threatened. "Imagine the statement I'll give the police: 'I crashed the car because _mi novia _wouldn't shut up about how sexy she is."

"Maybe you'd even get out scout-free if you used that excuse," Emma grinned and felt a warmth spread rapidly in her chest. She liked being Regina's 'novia'. She liked it a lot. "Does that make you _mi chica_?" she softly asked Regina.

Regina showed off her white teeth in a broad grin. "It absolutely does, _querida._ I am definitely your _chica_."

"Hmm, what else are you? Emma joked. "Mi... _princesa_, perhaps?"

Regina laughed at her.

"Or... _Mi reina_?" Emma suggested. "Yeah, that's almost better, isn't it?"

"Very fitting," Regina agreed with a slight headshake.

"And what else is there?" Emma drawled. "_Mi sirenita, _perhaps?"

Regina spluttered slightly. "Your little mermaid?"

"Yeah. From when we swam together!"

"Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense. Ish."

"How about... _mi Corazon_?" Emma suggested.

"That's very sweet, _preciosa_."

"Or maybe I'll just call you Hot Ass from now on."

Regina laughed so hard the car almost swayed a little on the road. "Em-ma Swan!" she scolded. "Do not make me crash this car!"

"Sorry," Emma said innocently while snickering satisfied to herself. Hot Ass WAS a good name for Regina.

_El Rastro_ was exactly like Emma remembered it. Big, noisy, warm and packed with people. Here you could buy everything. From clothes to antiquities. New stuff, old stuff. Handbags and figures. Jewelry and food. Stalls were you could buy coffee. Stalls were you could buy colorful scarves and even shoes.

"You think those would suit me?" Regina joked as they passed a stall that sold ridiculously large sunglasses.

"Maybe," Emma chuckled. "Try on a pair."

Regina tried to refuse, but Emma was entirely too convincing, so Regina ended up sighing and then trading her own sunglasses for a pair that was ridiculously big.

"Nice," Emma grinned. "Can I take a picture of you?"

"No!" Regina huffed, quickly slipping off the sunglasses and lowly muttering that they were terrible.

Emma laughed at that and slipped an arm around Regina's waist as they slowly made their way through the crowd. "Where do you wanna go first? To get some churros?"

"No!" Regina protested. "We've just had breakfast, for crying out loud! Am I really that bad when it comes to food?"

"No. Of course you're not. Not at all. I just don't want you to go hungry."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I swear to god, you'll be partially responsible when I end up looking like a whale."

Emma gave her waist a little squeeze. "So we'll start with a little exploring first, yeah?"

"Good plan."

Emma and Regina casually strolled around and looked at all the little stalls. Emma found a T-shirt with a grinning cow and bought it right on the spot.

"I'm not gonna ask to borrow THAT," Regina said with a grin.

"It's for my dad," Emma laughed. "I guarantee you he's going to love it."

"Perhaps. But is your mom?"

"No, probably not." They both laughed at that and Regina shook her head a little. Emma got her T-shirt in a nice yellow bag and then they continued onwards. But it didn't take long before they stopped again. This time by a stall selling scarves. Regina tampered with a baby blue scarf that had the same texture as whipped cream and clearly considered whether to buy it or not. She decided on not to, though. Said that there were other things she'd rather want. Emma asked her what those things were and smiled when Regina said "plane tickets to Maine. Lots of them". Emma agreed with her, that was far more important than a new scarf.

Selfies were taken, obviously. Emma never could resist taking pictures of Regina, and she wouldn't hear of it when Regina claimed that her eyes and nose were "all red" from crying last night.

"Bull," Emma said simply. "You look perfect. You always do. Now smile for the dickie bird."

Regina made a face at the expression but nevertheless smiled. Emma took the picture and uploaded it to Instagram with the caption '_El Rastro with mi chica._' That made Regina laugh and call her an idiot. And never had an insult sounded cuter.

Emma smiled as she and Regina made their way through the crowd and looked at all the little stalls. She still had an draped around Regina's waist, and she wasn't planning on moving it away anytime soon. She liked walking around like this. Blue sky. Spanish sunshine. The smell of churros. And her 'chica' right by her side. Life couldn't be better.

"Ruby just commented on the picture. Called us 'super cute'," Emma happily informed her girlfriend.

"How sweet," Regina said warmly. "I wonder when she'll post the first picture of her and Belle?"

"Ooooh, good question," Emma praised and felt every bit like a sly fox as she quickly send Ruby a message and asked her just that. She was surprised that Ruby had managed to tear herself away from Belle long enough to comment on the picture.

"So, churros _now_?" Emma asked and gave Regina's waist a little squeeze.

"_Sí_," Regina replied darkly and looked like she had just admitted defeat.

But there was no defeat about it, really. Emma wanted churros too. Which she happily admitted, and Regina looked a little less defeated then. But still muttered: "And I bet you won't gain from it at all. But me? I'm just going to continue to look-"

"More and more beautiful. Yes. Absolutely," Emma cut her off. "Come on, beautiful girl. Let's go and have some churros."

"Lead the way, _querida_."

Emma did exactly that. She elegantly steered Regina over to the churros stall. Regina had her churros with chocolate sauce, and no kidding, she looked positively aroused at the first bite. Emma had more tact than to tell her that, but suddenly she was the one who was choking when eating.

Regina gave her a funny look. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Oh yeah. Just fine," Emma squeaked. "The churros good?"

"_Sí_, they're wonderful!"

Emma felt utterly tempted to say something stupid like 'yeah, I bet', but she held back and suffocated a chuckle. Instead she dug into her own cornet of churros. Regina was right, they were wonderful. Absolutely mouthwatering. And so was Regina. Especially when showing excitement over food. Emma did so appreciate how much Regina loved food. But it was a little hard not to start drooling when Regina licked chocolate off her bottom lip.

With the churros eaten, Emma and Regina continued their casual stroll around the market. A larger crowd had started to gather. There were many children. Bigger ones, toddlers and tiny babies in strollers or in their parents' arms. It was impossible for Emma to not notice that Regina seemed to shoot glances whenever she passed a stroller or a baby in their parents' arms. And it was impossible not to notice that she seemed to touch her belly immediately afterwards. It didn't look like a deliberate act. Her hand just sort of wandered unintentionally to her belly.

Emma didn't comment on it or ask Regina what she was thinking. There was a good chance that Regina didn't know that either. It wouldn't be fair to ask her to put a name to all the feelings that had to be swirling around in her mind from time to time. But Emma was willing to bet everything she owned that Cora was still in Regina's head and making a mess to some degree.

"_¡Oh mira!_" Regina exclaimed and interrupted Emma's musings.

"What am I supposed to look at, beautiful girl?" Emma half-chuckled.

"That!" Regina said and sounded positively excited as she pointed to the jewelry stall they had just passed.

Emma followed the pointing finger and chuckled when she spotted the rings on display. However impossible it sounded, Regina had found...

"-A swan ring!" Regina laughed. "That is both ridiculous and perfect! You have to try it on, _querida_."

The elderly man who owned the stall smiled and took out the ring so Emma could try it on. The ring was made of silver and was literally formed as a swan wrapping around your finger. It was actually pretty cute, but unfortunately...

"-It doesn't fit me," Emma pouted when she had tried to slide the ring on all five of her fingers several times. Either the ring was too small or her fingers too big because the ring didn't even fit on her pinky. And that probably would have ridiculous anyway.

"Oh no," Regina said. "That's a shame. It would have been fun if it fitted you, _querida_. A swan for a Swan."

"It would have been fun," Emma agreed. "But-" she was suddenly hit with a flash of inspiration. "I've got a better idea."

"You do?" Regina frowned. "And what's that? I don't think they have a bigger size. Unfortunately."

"No-no-no," Emma chuckled. "I don't need a bigger size. It's not that kind of idea. Give me your hand."

Regina looked adorably confused as she willingly gave Emma her left hand.

Emma smiled at her girlfriend and hoped that this wouldn't make her freak out. Then she carefully slid the ring onto Regina's left ring finger. A bit too formal, perhaps, but the ring was too small to fit her middle and index finger. The thumb wasn't an option either, and it would just slide right off her pinky finger. In hindsight, perhaps she could have put it on Regina's right ring finger, but she didn't think of that.

"Oh," Regina breathed. "Well, that is... a different idea."

"It is," Emma softly agreed. "But do you think it's a good one too? We can just take it off if you don't like it."

"No, I... I do like it," Regina said almost sheepishly. "Now it'll feel like I have you with me even when you're not here."

"That you can. It looks good on you. And guess what?"

"What?"

Emma grinned broadly. "There's a ring on your finger."

Regina laughed bubbly. "There sure is, _querida_."

"So if Cora ever shows up and gives you a hard time about _that_, you can just show her your left hand and tell her to cram it!"

Regina laughed again. "She'll find something to complain about for sure. The shape or the fact that it's not made of gold or some _Mierda_ like that."

"Well, maybe I'll turn it into gold someday..."

Regina's eyebrows shot up towards her hairline and she tilted her head as she asked: "What?"

Emma just chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I said what I said."

Regina seemed stunned but definitely not unhappy about Emma's statement. Emma kissed her cheek again, told the seller that they would take the ring and then paid for it. As she slid the money over to the elderly man, he said: "_¿No arrodillado?_"

"Huh?" Emma asked, but before she could ask the man to elaborate, Regina had tugged her along. Emma studied her pink cheeks and asked: "did you hear what that man said?"

"No."

Emma scoffed. "Cute. You're lying. You totally know what he said, don't you?"

"No..." Regina said innocently, cheeks pinkening deeper.

"You _do_!" Emma said firmly. "And now you won't tell me! That's not fair!"

Regina just mumbled something, but Emma refused to back down. "Tell me what he said? Pleeeaaase?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Sure it does! Your cheeks are all pink! Anything that makes your cheeks pink is very important to me. Now please tell me what he said? Please? Please, please, please? Pretty plea-"

"Shut up," Regina interrupted and rolled her dark eyes. "I'll tell you, okay?"

Emma waited a tad impatiently.

Regina's cheeks went from pink to dark red as she said: "he... He wanted to know why you, uhh... why you didn't go down on one knee."

"Oh. Ohhhh!" Emma grinned broadly when she realized exactly what that meant. "Well, I could totally do that. Right in the middle of this flea market. Make the whole thing go viral. Should I do that?"

"_¡Dios no!_" Regina laughed. "As sweet and silly as that would be, I don't think that would be ideal."

"You might have a point," Emma chuckled, slipping an arm around Regina again. "But you know, maybe someday..."

"Don't make promises you cannot keep."

"I'm not. I'm just saying that maybe, perhaps... someday," Emma said conspiratorially and gave Regina a kiss on her cheek.

"_Eres tan tonta_," Regina said with a slight click of her tongue.

"But you think I'm pretty cute and loves me like crazy anyway, right?"

Regina smiled beamingly. "_Sí_. Very much so."

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Quiero ir a casa= I want to go home.

No, solo quiero irme a casa= No, I just wanna go home.

Te quiero, papi= I love you, daddy.

Yo también te quiero= I love you too.

Estoy aquí para ti. Lo que sea que necesites= I'm here for you. Whatever you need.

Es mi vida= It's my life.

Por supuesto= Of course

mi chica= my girl.

Mi princesa= my princess.

Mi reina= my queen.

Mi Corazon= my heart.

¡Oh mira!= Oh look!

¿No arrodillado?= not kneeling?

Eres tan tonta= You're so silly.


	29. Chapter 29

The following morning, Emma and Regina were up early. They were gonna meet Alessandra and Sofía for breakfast on a nearby café. It was an old appointment between Regina and the two women and Emma had decided that she wanted to tag along even before they went to Spain. She was very curious about meeting the parents of the baby Regina was expecting. Regina had said so many times that she wanted Emma to meet them, and now she finally could. The young brunette was excited about that. So was Emma. Of course she was, but to be perfectly honest, she did have a bit of an ulterior motive too. She wanted to put Alessandra and Sofía under her personal microscope. She wanted to make sure that they really were good people. Of course she didn't doubt it when Regina said that they were very good people, but she wanted to see it for herself. That was all. That wasn't so bad, was it? Regina was her girlfriend. Emma was only looking out for her. That was all. She had heard quite a lot about Alessandra and Sofía. Alessandra was a lawyer and Sofía was a pediatrician. Solid jobs to say the least. Solid jobs that paid good money. That part of it was covered. Emma felt as though Regina had been trying to prove some sort of point by choosing two people who had such hotshot jobs and "solid" lives. So very different from Regina's own job and life. Emma had often thought to herself that Regina somehow had tried to compromise. Following her own beliefs and choosing a gay couple for the baby but still chosen a couple with impressive jobs and good income. Had she thought of Cora when she did that? Had she hoped that if she chose a couple with impressive jobs, Cora wouldn't resent her as much for it? Emma was tempted to answer her own question with a "yes". Because it really did feel like that was exactly what Regina had tried to do. Make Cora proud by choosing a couple with a good and steady income and following her own belief by choosing a gay couple. Emma found it to be heartbreaking, that even in such a stressful situation, in such a situation where she had been under so much pressure, one of her first thoughts had still been that she wanted to make Cora proud. That only added to the tale of how much of an influence Cora had on her daughter. Emma hated her for it. Plain and simple. Even more so now that she had met Cora. She wanted to believe that Regina was far better off without her, but even though Cora most definitely deserve a daughter like Regina, thinking that Regina would do better without her left a sour taste in Emma's mouth. This wasn't just an 'onwards'-situation. This was something that would affect Regina in the long run, she was sure of that. Maybe Regina claimed that she would do just fine without her, but this was a particularly vulnerable time for her and eventually Regina would suffer under it. She would start to need her mother. Emma could have strangled Cora for the ultimatum she had given her daughter. That wasn't fair. The decision about the baby was ultimately Regina's and instead of spewing venom, Cora should have respected that.

Emma's train of thoughts were interrupted when Regina appeared in the bedroom. Her hair was a bit damp from the shower, and she was wearing a red leather miniskirt and a black tanktop. She looked awesome. Her tanktop was clinging so cutely to her baby bump. Emma couldn't help but smile. "Hi, fake-fiancée."

Regina grinned a little. "Hello yourself, _prometida falsa_."

Emma's smile widened. Fake-fiancée. _Prometida falsa_. That was what she and Regina jokingly had called each other since yesterday where Emma had given her the swan ring. On their way home from the flea market, Regina had jokingly claimed that she was disappointed Emma hadn't gone down on one knee, and when they came back to the apartment, Emma actually HAD gone down on one knee. Had solemnly taken Regina's hand in her own. And asked if she would do her the honor of having lunch with the blonde. Regina had laughed her head off and happily accepted the lunch-proposal. And since then they had been calling each other "fake-fiancée". Holy lunch-matrimony, Regina had added with a grin, and Emma had found that description to be awesome. Together in holy lunch-matrimony. If that wasn't funny, she didn't know what was.

"Are you ready to head out for brunch, _querida_?" Regina asked, stretching her arms above her head and almost reaching the ceiling with her fingertips.

"_Sí-sí_," Emma half-joked distractedly. She was more busy observing Regina. "Does your back hurt?"

"No," Regina said a tad surprised and flashed a grin. "I'm just stretching."

"Oh... Well, I definitely appreciate it," Emma said warmly, thoroughly enjoying the way Regina's tanktop rode up and bared a strip of caramel colored skin.

"Oops," Regina said and smoothened the tanktop over her swelling abdomen again. "That's not decent. I don't think anyone would appreciate if I went for brunch like this."

"I would?" Emma half-chuckled.

Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head in response. "Come on. We're going to be late if we don't leave now. I don't want to keep Alessandra and Sofía waiting."

"Right-o," Emma said, standing from the edge of the bed. "Let's get going."

Regina elegantly fluffed up her hair which she had let hang loose for once and then she grabbed a little red cardigan that matched the shade of her red skirt perfectly.

"You always look so put together," Emma said a tad enviously and smoothened a hand over her grey sundress which appeared to have become crinkled.

Regina snorted. "My hair is frizzy. I should have put it up before going to bed last night."

"Nah, you look great," Emma was quick to assure. "I like when your hair goes all frizzy. You look so alive."

Regina snickered. "Well I suppose that's a compliment of sorts." She stopped fussing over her hair and grabbed Emma's hand instead. "And I don't have time to do anything about it. Let's just go."

That was exactly what they did. Hand in hand they left the apartment, walked down the many stairs and out in the Spanish sunshine. Regina's purse was swinging from her left arm and she was humming a little. Emma smiled. Someone was in a good mood today. Maybe it had something to do with the way they had woken up earlier. All cuddled together. Regina's hair had been in Emma's face. The scent of apples had filled her nostrils, and it had been every bit a happy place. They had been laying in bed and quietly woken up together. Emma had ran her fingers through Regina's hair until Regina had threatened that she would fall asleep again if that continued. Eventually, they had gotten out of bed, realizing that they had less time than what they had planned. Regina had more or less tumbled into the bathroom to grab a shower, and Emma had thought to herself that all her mornings with Regina was one to remember.

"It's a beautiful day," Regina commented.

"It sure is," Emma agreed.

"We should do something later," the younger brunette continued, first frowning but then smiling as inspiration seemingly struck. "How about a picnic in _El Retiro Park_? We could make a nice basket with sandwiches and fruit and something to drink?"

"That sounds very nice. I'll bring my camera."

Regina snickered and clicked her tongue a little. "_Sí_, I'm sure you will. You always do."

"This reminds me of something!" Emma suddenly realized. "While you were in the shower, I checked my email, and you know what? I've been contacted by a woman who owns a gallery in New York, and guess what? She's seen the picture of you. Well, not _you_, but the picture of your tattoo and your hand. That picture where you're wearing red nail polish. She was _very_ interested. Asked to see the rest of the series."

"_Emma_!" Regina exclaimed, stopping right in the middle of the street. "That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!" ignoring or forgetting that they were in the street, she flung herself at Emma and hugged her tightly. "_Eres asombrosa!_"

"Thank you," Emma laughed, wrapping her arms around Regina, hugging her right back. "But the rest of the series..."

"Yes?"

"Well..." Emma bit her lip. "They're of you. Your face. Your... body. Well, covered by the sheet, but still! It's you in the pictures!"

"So?" Regina laughed heartedly. "Emma, of course you have to send the rest of the series to the owner of the gallery! This is an amazing chance for you!"

"Yeah, but... Would you be okay with it? Your face being so... public?"

"Em. Ma." Regina scolded. "Don't be silly! Of course I'm okay with it! And of course you have to send the rest of the series to that woman! Imagine if your pictures could be exhibited in her gallery? What a chance that would be!"

Her unbridled enthusiasm made Emma smile. Regina was quite obviously excited for her, and that warmed Emma's heart. Neal had never taken her job particularly serious. At best, he had treated it as a hobby. And more than once, he had hinted that perhaps Emma should explore other options. Do something else with her life. A desk job, most likely. He was a snob, exactly like his parents. And even though he never said so directly, Emma had a feeling that he found it scandalous that the Mayor's daughter had chosen photography as her livelihood.

"True," Emma agreed with a squeeze of Regina's hand. "It would be an amazing chance, but would you come? To New York, I mean? If the pictures were exhibited, I mean?"

"But of course," Regina said immediately. "If everything continues to go so smoothly, I will come. I'd cross a million oceans for you."

Emma chuckled. "Let's settle for one, eh?"

"This is so exciting for you," Regina said dreamily.

"But it's all because of you," Emma reminded her. "It's your hand in the picture. Laura, the owner of the gallery called it both "mysterious and atmospheric". According to her, it makes one curious to see the woman's face."

Regina looked quite proud.

"My muse," Emma softly continued and squeezed Regina's hand again.

"Stop it," Regina laughed. "You're making me embarrassed."

"Tough. Because that's what you are. My muse. And a damn good one too."

Regina gave her a nudge. And rolled her eyes when Emma pretended to stumble. "You have to write to that woman, Laura, as soon as we get back to the apartment!" she said firmly. "And your parents! You have to tell your parents too!"

"Hold your horses, honey," Emma chuckled. "Nothing has been decided yet. She's only asking to see the rest of the series. That's all."

"And why wouldn't it turn into more?" Regina said plainly. "You're a brilliant photographer."

Emma found herself blushing at that. "Thank you. For being my inspiration."

"Stop it. All I did was putting my hand like you told me to," Regina laughed. "That's literally all."

"'I carried a watermelon,'" Emma teasingly quoted.

"_Sí_. Exactly." Regina's smile grew a bit mischievous as she patted her swelling belly. "I AM carrying a watermelon."

And just like that, the Dirty Dancing quote had been turned into an even better joke.

They made it to the café, a coffee house was the exact description, and Emma gallantly and jokingly held the door open for Regina, offering a respectful: "Milady."

Regina chuckled. "Thanks, _querida_."

Alessandra and Sofía hadn't arrived yet, so Emma and Regina found an available table near the window where they would be easy to spot. "Should we order something to drink while we wait?" Emma asked.

"_Sí_, that's a good idea," Regina nodded and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You want tea?" Emma asked as Regina whipped out her little mirror and checked her appearance in it.

Regina smacked the little mirror shut again. "I suppose so," she said as she gazed longingly at a waitress who walked past with a cup of coffee.

"Are you ogling the coffee or the waitress?" Emma teased.

"_Dios mio_," Regina said, shaking her head in protest. "I was ogling the coffee and absolutely nothing else."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was just teasing," Emma laughed.

"You _suck_," Regina mumbled a tad defiantly.

"Rude," Emma said and reminded herself that they were in a public place. Thus she couldn't make threats about punishing Regina. Shame. She did so enjoy seeing the way Regina's cheeks pinked , and the way she bit her lip whilst muttering something in Spanish. Something Emma was yet to convince her to translate. So far, Regina had plain refused. Emma smirked a little as she got the waitress' attention and ordered a cup of tea for Regina.

"I could have used a cup of coffee to wake up," Regina sighed, now sniffing into the air as though trying to inhale the smell of coffee. "I feel completely groggy."

"You slept fine last night, though, didn't you?" Emma asked and raised an eyebrow.

"_Sí_, I did, but I kept having weird dreams," Regina said with a wrinkle of her nose. "Including giving birth to a gigantic marshmallow, apparently."

Emma spluttered. "A _marshmallow_, really?"

"Oh yeah," Regina said and rolled her eyes a little. "As you can imagine I felt pretty disorientated when I woke up."

"Uhm, yeah, I can totally imagine that!" Emma laughed. Seriously, that sounded equally hilarious and a bit freaky at the same time.

"I've heard that pregnant women dream a lot, but this does takes it to an extreme," Regina said dryly.

Emma snickered and reached across the table so she could grasp Regina's hand and give it a little squeeze.

"And what's more, the doctor kept smiling and telling me that everything had gone completely according to plan," Regina continued and made a face.

"Well," Emma grinned. "At least you know what it's like to give birth to a marshmallow now."

"Sure do," Regina chuckled. "And I've never even wondered about it before."

Emma was amused and was just about to make some kind of marshmallow joke when Regina suddenly stuck a hand in the air and smiled broadly.

Emma turned her head to look at the door, and there she saw two women coming into the coffee house. It didn't take long before they spotted Regina. Both of them smiled and Regina stood from her chair. She exchanged hugs and air kisses and a string of '_Hola's_' with them, and both Sofía and Alessandra were almost gushing over Regina. Their voices went a bit high pitched when they gestured towards Regina's belly and clearly expressed their delight over how much it had grown since the last time. Emma gave the two women a quick one over, and she couldn't help but feeling slightly surprised at what she saw. One of the two women, Emma wasn't quite sure whether it was Alessandra or Sofía, was tall and had bleach blonde hair while the other woman was shorter and had dark hair. Emma found that to be extremely curious. They looked... Well, the couple actually looked a bit like Emma and Regina. Was that intentional, Emma couldn't help but wonder. She found it to be very conspicuously how much Alessandra and Sofía represented herself and Regina. Tall and blonde. Short and brunette. It couldn't be a coincidence. Regina had to have seen it too, how much they looked like-

Emma shook her head. Or maybe she hadn't. Maybe it was just a big coincidence. "Em-ma, this is Sofía-" Regina introduced and smiled at the tall blonde woman. "And Alessandra." She smiled at the short brunette. "_Alessandra, Sofía, esta es mi novia, Emma_," she told the two women.

"_Hola, _Emma," Alessandra said in accented, but good English. "It is very nice to meet you. Regina's been speaking so much about you."

"Good things, I hope," Emma said, partially standing from her chair so she could shake hands with Alessandra and Sofía. "It's nice to meet you too."

All four of them sat down and ordered brunch. While Alessandra talked to Regina and asked her about the trip to Maine, Emma took the opportunity to study the two women. Emma knew that Alessandra was thirty while Sofía was twenty eight. Sofía was wearing cream colored slacks and blue top with a blazer over it. Alessandra had chosen a dusty blue dress. Both women looked very sharp. Very put together. Even though Alessandra only was two years older than Emma, Emma still felt like the other woman was several years older than herself. Maybe it was the figure fitting dress or the fact that she was wearing high heels when going to a casual coffee shop. Emma wasn't completely sure. But it didn't take her long to work out that Alessandra was the talkative one of them. Sofía seemed a bit more quiet and reserved. But nevertheless smiling. Her eyes was on Alessandra as she was eagerly chatting with Regina about how she was doing, how the baby was doing. "Our baby", Alessandra said, and that little "our" felt like a jolt going through Emma's body. But only for a second. Then she shook her head and concentrated on the conversation Alessandra and Regina had. Alessandra was asking Regina how much nausea she'd been feeling and about the next ultrasound scan. And something called MMS, which Emma found out meant Multiple Marker Screen Test. That test was typically done between week 15 and week 20 and had to do with chromosomal abnormalities. But Alessandra stated that she and Sofía wasn't interested in that test, and Regina wasn't particularly interested in getting poked and prodded too much either as she put it with a grin. So her next ultrasound scan would take place at week 18. And that was a pretty important scan.

"Have you guys decided whether you want to know the baby's sex?" Regina asked. Alessandra translated for Sofía, and the two of them had a brief chat in Spanish before Alessandra smiled and said: "no. We want it to be a surprise."

"_La habitación del bebé será amarilla de todos modos_," Sofía said quietly, and both Regina and Alessandra chuckled.

"She says that the baby's room will be painted yellow anyway," Regina translated for Emma.

"Oh," Emma chuckled too. "Great choice."

"We were talking about names until 2 o'clock last night," Alessandra eagerly chirped. "_¿No es así, Sofía?_"

"_Sí_," Sofía said, and Emma thought to herself that maybe she was just a bit quiet. Not that talkative. A bit more introverted than her partner was.

"_¿Has decidido algo?_" Regina asked casually and took a sip of her tea.

"Savannah if it's a girl, and Diego if it's a boy," Alessandra smiled.

"_¡Creemos que va a ser un niño!_" Sofía chirped in and smiled widely, and Alessandra flashed her a warm smile and put her hand over her partners.

"They think it's going to be a boy," Regina translated for Emma.

"Oh," Emma said again and thought about the names. That simple. The baby hadn't even been born yet, and they had already decided on a name. For some reason, Emma wasn't too sure what to think about that. It just seemed so quick, knowing what to name the baby. Had it been Emma, she would have waited until the baby was born. She had a sort of vague idea that it was easier to decide on a name when you had met the baby.

Their brunch arrived, and Regina's eyes began to shine. As they so often did when it came to food. They toasted and Alessandra eagerly talked about fatigue with Regina, and now Sofía added to the conversation. Emma breathed a quiet sigh of relief. There was nothing wrong. She had just been jumping the conclusion. As she so often did. Alessandra and Sofía were very nice people. And the fact that they already had chosen a name for the baby merely meant that this was something they had talked about for a very long time. Years, even. That was how long they had wanted a baby for. Diego and Savannah. Savannah and Diego. Those were good names. Perfectly good names. Nothing wrong with that at all. Emma thoughtfully took a sip of her orange juice. She did like the names. And she did like Alessandra and Sofía, of course she did, they were very nice people, both of them. But it still felt strange to know that the two women sitting across from her were the parents of the baby Regina was carrying. That Alessandra and Sofía were going to be the baby's moms.

Emma shook her head a little. She had to keep herself in check. This was something she had known for a long, long time. There was literally no surprises what so ever. Maybe she was just reacting because this was the first time, she was meeting Alessandra and Sofía. And this was a bit of an unusual situation. Let's be honest, it's not often that you go out for brunch with your girlfriend and the parents of the baby your girlfriend just so happens to be expecting. Yeah. That was probably it. Maybe it was totally okay for her to feel a little strange. It probably would have been weirder if she had been able to just breeze through this unusual meeting. Emma settled with that and concentrated on eating her bacon. Pretty good but not as good as Regina's. Her bacon always had a certain crunch to it, Emma fondly thought to herself. Regina's bacon was in a league of it's own and nothing could compare to it. Not even this brunch bacon.

Next to her, Regina was already halfway through her portion of scrambled eggs, and Emma couldn't help but chuckling a little.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny, _Señorita _Swan?"

"Nothing. Those eggs just disappeared quickly, that's all."

"Well, I'm permanently hungry," Regina defended. "You know that."

"Oh yeah," Emma chuckled. "That I do."

"You just need whatever baby need, Regina," Alessandra said warmly.

"_Ahora mismo creo que estoy comiendo demasiado_," Regina said jokingly, and both Alessandra and Sofía chuckled, but Sofía hastily added: "no-no-no" once done laughing.

"They don't think I'm eating too much," Regina translated for Emma with a chuckle. "Neither do I," Emma said firmly. "I'd rather see you eating than going hungry." Or refusing to eat, she quietly added in her mind, still remembering how Regina had neglected to eat when they came home from their "confrontation" with Cora. But thankfully, Regina had regained her appetite fairly quickly. At least that was something Cora couldn't take away from her, Emma thought a tad bitterly to herself. Another barista walked past with a cup of coffee, and Emma tried to keep her grin at bay when she saw Regina shoot a positively yearning glance at it. Regina was clearly missing coffee. And cigarettes, she had confessed to Emma during one of their Skype dates. She had been smoking since she was seventeen and a half, and yeah, giving it up was hard. Emma had never smoked, but she could imagine that quitting it was hard.

"_Debes venir a cenar pronto_," Sofía said and smiled at Regina.

"_Sí_," Regina said and told Emma that Sofía had asked her to come to dinner.

Emma put on a smile. That was nice of her. Of both of them. Alessandra and Sofía were kind people. Very kind people. They were so nice to Regina, almost doting on her. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this picture. Regina couldn't have chosen better people to adopt the baby. And yet here Emma was, feeling something she wasn't quite sure how to define. It was strange. She had absolutely nothing against Sofía and Alessandra, nothing whatsoever. It wasn't that. It was rather the fact that before meeting them, the baby growing inside Regina's belly had been "Blueberry", Emma and Regina's private little nickname for the kid. But now the baby was "_nuestro precioso bebé_", as Sofía said, and which Emma found out meant "our precious baby", or "_pequeño Diego_" as Alessandra kept calling Blueberry. She was clearly convinced that it was going to be a boy, and Emma couldn't quite explain why that made her feel strange. It literally shouldn't...

"They're sweet, aren't they?" Regina asked softly.

"They are," Emma confirmed with a slight hum. They had just come back to Regina's apartment and was sitting on the couch doing nothing. Regina had her feet in Emma's lap, and Emma was absentmindedly rubbing the younger woman's ankles in slow circles.

"And they're painting the nursery yellow," Regina continued. "Did you hear that?"

"Yup. Sure did."

"That's a good color," Regina said softly and a bit musingly. "I'm sure Diego or Savannah will like the color when they grow older, don't you think?"

"Well, who doesn't like yellow?" Emma half-chuckled.

Regina leaned back in the old couch and absentmindedly twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. Emma wondered what she was thinking about. Both Sofía and Alessandra had given Regina a hug when they parted ways. Alessandra had even asked if she could touch Regina's belly for a moment, and Regina had allowed her to do that. Alessandra had basically fawned over _pequeño Diego_, and once again Emma hadn't been completely sure what to think when Alessandra had talked softly to the baby and said that she couldn't wait to meet him.

"You think it's going to be a boy?" Regina asked nonchalantly.

"It could be," Emma replied. "What do you think?"

"I haven't really thought about it to be honest," Regina said, dragging a finger up and down her growing abdomen. "But I do think Diego is a good name, don't you?"

"It is," Emma agreed, noting that Regina had done nothing but making sure Emma was agreeing to everything ever since they had come home to the apartment. It was clearly important to her that Emma thought the same.

Emma shot her a sideway-glance. Regina looked fairly relaxed and comfortable, but obviously Emma couldn't see what was going on in her head. Couldn't possible know what she was thinking about right now. Emma did want to ask her, but before she could, Regina said: "I'm glad they're not interested in having all sorts of tests done."

"Yeah, that would have been a bit much," Emma agreed.

"Now all I have to do is attending the ultrasounds and then squeezing a baby out," Regina laughed. "That's going to be fun."

"You'll do great," Emma said automatically.

"Or maybe I'll faint," Regina said dryly. "I actually read a story about a woman who passed out right in the middle of giving birth-"

"What did I say about reading horror stories?" Emma interrupted and playfully put a hand over Regina's mouth. "It's not good for you!"

"I'm not reading horror stories. I'm just trying to stay on top of things," Regina defended.

"There is a different on staying on top of things and scaring yourself shitless."

Regina snickered. "I am not scared shitless. I'm completely fine."

"Good. Then let's make sure it stays that way. Or I'll take your computer," Emma threatened.

"Now there's something that could scare me," Regina said dryly, but her eyes nevertheless sparkled as she leaned in and pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek. "I'm glad you like Sofía and Alessandra, _querida_."

"Pretty hard not to like," Emma said softly, turning her head and pressing a quick kiss to the corner of Regina's mouth. "They're good people. Anyone can see that."

"Maybe that's what I'll tell Cora someday," Regina mused. She moved her feet away from Emma's lap.

"Have you... heard anything from her today?"

"From Cora?" Regina looked a tad surprised. "No, of course not. You thought that?"

"Hoping," Emma corrected. "I was hoping that she would get her head out of her ass and realize that she's been a massive idiot."

"Oh, Emma," Regina laughed. "You are sweet, but that is a scenario that isn't likely to ever happen. Cora and I are done."

"It isn't fair to you."

"She has her opinions and I have mine. Both of us rarely backs down. Maybe that's why we don't get along," Regina said simply.

"But she's the one who's in the wrong here."

"Yes," Regina said shortly. She stood from the couch, went through the living room and disappeared through the bedroom door.

"What are you doing?" Emma called a tad confused after her.

"I'm bringing you your iPad," Regina teased. "You have to email back to that gallery owner.

"Right now? But we're-"

"We're not doing anything, and this is important," Regina finished the sentence. She came back and handed Emma the iPad. "Here you go, _querida. _Now answer the lady."

"You're so bossy," Emma joked. "But I'll answer it. If you sit that pretty ass down."

And Regina did just that.

A couple of hours later found Emma and Regina arriving at the Retiro park. Emma had made sandwiches while Regina had cut up some fruit. They had made each other laugh when they stopped at a nearby grocery store, because they had ended up buying several of these little juice bricks. Pineapple, mango, apple, orange and pear. It had been ages since Emma last had bought a juice brick, and as silly as it was, it was pretty funny too.

They found a relatively empty spot in the park and Regina unfolded the big blanket they had brought for the outing. "Here?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Here is good," Emma smiled, setting the picnic basket down. "Here, I'll help you with the blanket."

"I _am_ still capable of bending over, you know," Regina scoffed.

Emma spluttered. "Why did that sound so... suggestive?"

"Because you have a dirty mind?" Regina dryly suggested.

"Hey, I do NOT have a dirty mind!" Emma claimed.

"That's what every dirty minded person say, _querida_," Regina teased.

"Grr," Emma mock-growled.

Regina snickered as she sat down on the newly unfolded blanket laying on the ground. "You look like you're going to attack me. You can't rattle a pregnant woman. Remember that."

"That depends on how you'd define 'rattle'," Emma smirked, completely giving in to her apparent dirty mind. "Because I could think of several ways, I'd like to... rattle you."

A faint blush rose in Regina's tanned cheeks. "Let me rephrase then. You can't rattle me like you want to rattle me when we're in a public park."

"Damnit," Emma joked. "Too fucking bad."

"Sit down," Regina said with an eyeroll.

Emma did as instructed, and Regina thrusted a hand inside the picnic basket. "Now... what kind of juice do you want, _querida_?"

"Hmm..." Emma pretended to think about it for a moment before saying: "Pineapple."

"Pineapple. Bold choice," Regina chuckled as she handed Emma a pineapple juice brick. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Emma grinned as she freed the straw, used it to pop the juice brick open and then took a sip. "Mm. Not bad. Not bad at all."

"Good. Maybe I should buy a stash," Regina joked. She had found an apple juice brick and was now taking swigs of it through the straw. "This is pretty good too."

"Of course it is. It's apple. You love apple."

"Can't really run from that, can I?" she tipped her head back and closed her eyes against the sun. "_Esta fue una buena idea._"

"Mmm-hmm, it was a good idea," Emma agreed, eyes already wandering to her camera. Regina had taken off her cardigan, and the image of her sitting on the blanket in the grass with her eyes closed was definitely one that needed to be immortalized.

"Have you heard anything from that gallery lady from New York yet?" Regina inquired.

Emma chuckled. "No, not yet. I think we have to be a little patient on that one, beautiful girl."

"I don't want to be patient," Regina scoffed. "I want her to email you back this instant!"

"Maybe you should email her and tell her that," Emma joked.

"Yeah. Maybe I should." Regina took another and almost defiant sip of her juice through the straw.

"You been to New York before?" Emma inquired.

"_Sí_, a few times when I was younger. But it was mostly to go to the opera and practice the whole sit-still-and-act-like-a-lady routine," Regina said nonchalantly. "I've never really done any sightseeing there."

"Well, if we go there, we'll definitely do some sightseeing," Emma promised. "And you definitely don't have to act like a lady."

Regina laughed heartedly. "Thanks, _querida_. I'll start practicing sitting with my legs spread a few months prior."

"Okay," Emma said a bit strangled. Hearing Regina talk about spreading her legs was distracting no matter the context. Period.

And Regina was perfectly aware of it. She smirked at Emma, winked even. But she didn't say anything as she thrusted a hand inside the picnic basket again and found a sandwich. "For you, my sweet, sweet tourist," she drawled, voice dropping a few octaves as she handed Emma a sandwich.

"Thanks." Now Emma definitely had problems with concentrating. And problems with coordination too apparently. She damn nearly dropped the sandwich in the grass.

"Careful," Regina said and appeared to be biting back a chuckle. "It would be a shame if that delicious sandwich went down the grass..."

"One of these days..." Emma said through slightly clenched teeth.

"_Sí_?" Regina sweetly encouraged. "What's gonna happen one of these days, Em-ma?"

"I'm going to do something that'll wipe that smirk right off your face."

"And replace it with what?"

Emma leaned forward. "Something I unfortunately cannot say out loud in this _very_ public park..."

Regina laughed and crawled forward on her knees, leaning over the picnic basket and kissing Emma sweetly on the lips. Not for long. But she did linger with her mouth close to Emma's ear for a second: "that sounds nice, _mi amor_."

"I'll give you nice, you little minx!" Emma grumbled under her breath and wished she could have done something terribly scandalous to Regina right here in this park. But that probably wouldn't sit well with the many other people in the park. There were actually a few children, and Emma felt a little horrified for having had such sordid thoughts when there were children nearby. She ought to be ashamed of herself, really. But when she told Regina that, Regina just laughed and thrusted a sandwich into her hand with the words: "have a sandwich, _querida_. And maybe some more juice. You look a bit warm."

"I wonder why that is," Emma grumbled and sucked the juice up through the straw.

Regina smirked as she took a bite of her own sandwich.

"You'll be the death of me," Emma said simply.

"So dramatic," Regina hummed in reply. She had whipped out her phone and was now busy snapping pictures of the picnic basket.

"You gonna send the pictures to someone?" Emma inquired.

"_Sí_. To daddy. He texted a bit earlier and wanted to know if we had any plans. Which was obviously just a clever way to check up on me, bless him."

"He just wants to make sure you're okay."

"I know. And I love him for it," Regina beamed. "I'm not sure what I would do without him. His support does make everything easier."

"He's an awesome father."

"I'll tell him that you said that. Right now." Regina bowed her head over her phone and began texting again.

"Feel free," Emma grinned. "I want my father-in-law to like me!"

"That's a job that's easy done, _querida_. You're very lovable."

"And bam, my ego just went through the roof. Again," Emma joked as she leaned back and inhaled the air. It was such a nice day. Having a picnic had been a damn good decision. She turned her head and glanced at Regina. She was still busy texting, so Emma took the opportunity to grab her camera, lift it and snap a picture of Regina as she sat there with her hair as a dark curtain covering her cheeks. It was the perfect photo opportunity, really, and Emma felt every bit satisfied as she put the camera down again.

Regina looked up. "Did you just photograph me?"

"No..."

"I think you did. Didn't you?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about, sweetheart," Emma claimed.

"You totally just took a picture of me!"

"Did I?"

"Em-ma." Regina scowled. "Stop teasing me!"

"Never," Emma laughed. "You're so fun to tease. And you make such a pretty picture."

"So you DID take a picture of me!"

"Guilty as charged, sergeant," Emma joked. "Whacha gonna do about it?"

"I swear to god-"

"_H-hola?_"

Both of them turned their heads, and Emma spotted a tiny girl, no older than five who was standing at the edge of their blanket. She was wearing a pale pink dress, had curly brown hair and big brown eyes and a bottom lip that seemed to wobble a little bit.

"_Hola_," Regina greeted and smiled at the little girl. She had clearly spotted the wobbly bottom lip as well, because her voice was laced with concern as she continued: "_¿Estás bien?"_

"_No lo sé_," the girl replied and now she definitely looked upset.

"Oh dear," Regina mumbled and then asked the child: "_¿Dónde está tu mamá?_"

The little girl shrugged, tears welling up in her deep brown eyes.

"_¿No sabes dónde está ella?_" Regina asked softly.

The little girl shook her head in response and sniffled.

"Looks like someone got lost," Regina told Emma and turned back to the girl: "_Como te llamas, querida_?"

"_Giulia_." Said the little girl.

"_Giulia_," Regina repeated softly and smiled at the child. "_Ese es un lindo nombre_. _Mi nombre es Regina_."

"Re-gi-na," Giulia said, now smiling a little bit. "_Bonita!_"

"_Gracias. ¿Deberíamos intentar encontrar a tu mami?_"

Giulia nodded.

"I'll try and see if I can find Giulia's mother," Regina said to Emma as she stood from the blanket. "I'll be right back. Watch our things?"

"You got it," Emma quickly confirmed.

"_¡Una bebé, una bebé!_" Giulia exclaimed, grinning widely as she suddenly pointed to Regina's stomach with a pudgy little finger.

"_Sí. Una bebé_," Regina confirmed, smiling a bit more tightly now. "_Ven. A ver si podemos encontrar a tu mami._"

They walked off, and Emma was pretty sure she could feel something tugging at her heartstrings when she saw Giulia put her little hand in Regina's. If that wasn't the most adorable thing, Emma wasn't sure what was. Her fantasy went haywire as she looked at the adorable, darkhaired kid. If one didn't know any better, one could accidentally think that Giulia was-

_No_. Emma firmly shook her head firmly. She couldn't think like that. Wasn't allowed to think of that. She had just been sitting too long in the sunshine. That was all. She took a big bite of her sandwich and observed as Regina and Giulia walk around in the park and look for Giulia's mother. After a moment, Giulia lifted a pudgy little hand and pointed whilst exclaiming: "_¡mamá! ¡mamá!_"

A tall, dark haired woman came rushing over to them. She took Giulia in her arms and hugged her tightly. Then she smiled warmly at Regina, and even though Emma was a bit too far away to hear it, she was sure that Giulia's mother was thanking Regina for bringing her daughter back.

"_¡Una bebé, una bebé!_" Giulia piped up from her mother's arms whilst pointing to Regina's belly again. "_¡Regina está teniendo un bebé, mamá!_"

Once again, Emma felt something tug at her heartstrings when she saw Giulia's mother smile warmly at Regina and then gesturing as she spoke. Regina nodded and smiled. Then she used her index finger to offer Giulia a silly little wave. Giulia's following laughter and "_¡Adiós Regina! ¡Gracias!_" could be heard in the entire park.

Emma pretended to be extremely busy eating her sandwich when Regina came back to their spot and sat down. "That has to be today's good deed," she joked.

"She was cute," Emma said lightly.

"She was," Regina agreed and took a sip of her juice.

"She liked you," Emma dared to say. Giulia's attention had only been on Regina.

"I have a friendly face," Regina quipped.

Emma chuckled slightly. But she had a feeling that Regina's friendly face wasn't the only reason why Giulia had chosen to go to her for help. It was the belly that had gotten the child's attention first. That was why she had chosen Regina. Emma studied her girlfriend for a moment. Her posture was relaxed. No tight shoulders or flickering eyes, but Emma immediately noticed that while Regina's right hand was holding the juice brick, her left hand had wandered up and settled on her belly. She was drawing random circles with her thumb, and once again, Emma would have paid a lot to know exactly what Regina was thinking. She was drawing random circles with her thumb, and once again, Emma would have paid a lot to know exactly what Regina was thinking. Asking would be fruitless. Because she knew that Regina simply would put on a smile and say 'nothing. Or she would-

"Fruit?" Regina asked spontaneously, reaching into the picnic basket and finding a piece of fruit for Emma.

"Yeah, thanks," Emma replied and thought to herself that Regina had just done the second thing she often did when thinking about something serious. Started talking about something else...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish Translations:

esta es mi novia, Emma= this is my girlfriend, Emma.

¿No es así, Sofía?= Isn't that right, Sofía?

¿Has decidido algo?= Have you decided something?

¡Creemos que va a ser un niño!= We think it will be a boy!

Ahora mismo creo que estoy comiendo demasiado= Right now I think I'm eating too much.

Debes venir a cenar pronto= You must come to dinner soon.

¿Estás bien?= Are you okay?

No lo sé= I don't know.

¿Dónde está tu mamá?= Where is your mom?

¿No sabes dónde está ella?= Don't you know where she is?

Como te llamas, querida?"= What's your name, dear?

Ese es un lindo nombre. Mi nombre es Regina= That's a nice name. My name is Regina.

Bonita= Pretty.

Gracias. ¿Deberíamos intentar encontrar a tu mami?=Thank you. Should we try to find your mommy?

¡Una bebé, una bebé!= A baby, a baby!

Ven. A ver si podemos encontrar a tu mami= Come on. Let's see if we can find your mommy.

"¡Regina está teniendo un bebé, mamá!"= Regina is having a baby, mom!

¡Adiós Regina! ¡Gracias!= Goodbye Regina! Thank you!


	30. Chapter 30

Enjoy this little NSFW-filler chapter before stuff happens again ;)

Spanish translations=

¡Joder, eso se siente tan bien! Damn, that feels so good!

Emma, por favor= Emma, please!

Mierda! ¡¿Que demonios?!= Shit! What the hell?!

No en medio de la noche= Not in the middle of the night...

¡Me follas tan bien!= You fuck me so good!

Emma woke. In the dead of night. In Regina's very warm bedroom. First, she had absolutely zero idea as to why she had woken up so suddenly. She rolled onto her back and tried to make sense of it, but that gesture only made way for more questions. When they went to bed last night, Regina had been snuggling up in her arms, and Emma might have sort of cradled the younger woman's pregnant belly. But now Regina was laying several inches away from Emma.

It was in that moment Emma heard it. Whimpering. Coming from Regina. That was what had awakened her in the dead of night. Her inner Regina-sensor had clearly gone off. Emma's ears perked up. Her first natural response was concern. Obviously. Regina was whimpering in her sleep. Of course she was concerned, anyone would be. But after having listened for a few seconds, Emma realized that what she was witnessing here wasn't 'bad' whimpering. Not even in the slightest. It was... a different kind of whimpering.

Emma turned her head. The bedroom wasn't completely dark, so it wasn't very difficult to see Regina. She too was laying on her back. One arm tossed over her eyes and her other hand rhythmically squeezing a fistful of the sheet. The covers had slipped at some point during the night, and Emma had full view of Regina's gloriously long and toned legs. Those legs kept moving and Regina whimpered quietly again. Emma tried to make as little noise as possible as she rolled onto her side so she could see Regina better. This was a little too good to miss out on.

Regina let out another glorious whimpering sound, and Emma licked her lips. It wasn't difficult to figure out what kind of dream Regina was having. Nope, not difficult at all.

"_¡Joder, eso se siente tan bien!_"

Oh, fuck. Emma felt something stirring low in her belly. Looks like Regina's sex drive had come back in full force. That, Emma knew, was something Regina would be pleased about. She had been complaining about her lack of sex drive for the past week Emma had been in Spain. She had actually been pretty frustrated about it, and Emma had tried her best to assure that her sex drive would come back again. And in the meantime, Emma was more than happy to cuddle as much as Regina wanted. That was what Regina had been in the mood for, for the past week. Lots and lots of delightful cuddling. But now it would appear that she was in the mood for more than cuddling.

Regina let out another glorious whimper, and Emma's breath caught in her throat. Fucking hell, overhearing Regina having an erotic dream was probably one of the sexiest thing Emma had heard.

"_Emma, por favor!_"

And that... did not help at all. Emma would never get tired of looking at Regina. The way her body was twisting and turning in her sleep, the way she moaned. She moved her arm away from her face, and now Emma could see that her mouth was half-open. She could see the way Regina's face was contorting in pleasure, and Emma had to physically stop herself from waking Regina. She was pregnant for gods sake. She needed her rest. It would be a fucking crime to wake her just because Emma was horny.

"Fuck!" Regina hissed, and Emma saw how she tightened her grip around the sheet. The blonde wondered what Regina was actually gripping in her dream. Emma's hair? Her shoulder? Oh. Emma momentarily forgot about everything when she saw Regina's fingers curl into claws around the sheet. Fucking hell, that was hot. What WAS she dreaming? What was Emma doing to her? It was entirely possible that Emma would have to ask her for details when she woke up. Emma just hoped that Regina would be able to remember it. It would be a damn shame if this was one of those dreams who got away from you as soon as you woke up.

Regina's exclamations turned into incoherent babbles, a mixture of Spanish and English Emma couldn't quite decipher, but she knew exactly when Regina made those sounds. When she was close to her climax. Fuck. Regina wasn't about to fucking come in her dream, was she? That was definitely something Emma had not witnessed before. But she was extremely grateful she had woken up. It would have been a damn shame to miss out on this glorious event.

Regina's soft cries of ecstasy rose in volume and grew a bit more breathless. Yep, she was definitely close. Oh hell. Emma felt that particular tingle in her abdomen. Then the muscles were tightening some, and she had to adjust herself a little so she could squeeze her legs together. Her nipples had started to pucker up as well. Of course she was getting affected by this. It was literally impossible not to. Regina looked so fucking sexy like this. All tousled and wrapped up in her dream. Like a goddess with her long dark hair spread out on the pillow. She looked like a sculpture. Carved out of bronze. Her tanktop had ridden up high enough to bare her swelling abdomen, and for whatever reason Emma found that to be ridiculously sexy. There was just something about pregnant Regina. And pregnant, dreaming Regina in particularly. Emma licked her dry lips and tried not to clear her throat when the tingles in her abdomen turned into this dull throbbing orchestrated by the way Regina was still moaning, almost crying out now. Emma had never been more turned on that she was right now. She was literally on the brink of waking up Regina so they could turn the fantasy into reality. But again, waking Regina would be an absolute crime. Emma simply had to push her desire aside and let Regina enjoy her dream, god damnit. She had been so frustrated over her lack of sex drive. She deserved to enjoy herself without getting interrupted. Anything else would be so terribly unfair to her.

But then Regina suddenly released a sharp, breathy moan that could almost have been a shriek, and sat bold upright in the bed. The movement was so sudden, Emma jerked back several inches out of pure shock and surprise.

"_Mierda! ¡¿Que demonios?!_" Regina said hoarsely, and Emma saw how she rubbed her forehead. Then she took a deep breath and pushed her hair away from her face. Pushed her tanktop down so it covered her belly again. She cleared her throat, clearly trying to be as quiet as possible, which was pretty much in vain seeing that Emma had been awake for quite a while now. Then she rolled onto her side. And came face to face with one grinning Emma Swan.

"Hey," Emma said softly. And entirely unable to keep the delight out of her voice.

"Uhm... Hey?" Regina said a bit awkwardly and looked like she was trying to figure out whether she should feel embarrassed or not.

Emma made the decision for her as she inched closer and bussed Regina on the lips. "You all good?"

"I... I think so?" Regina said a bit meekly.

"But you're not sure?" Emma half-chuckled.

Regina made a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat.

Emma snickered softly once more. "You looked so hot," she assured.

"How long have you been awake?" Regina asked. Now she was actually blushing.

"A while," Emma told her, sly grin spreading on her face. No, she wasn't trying to ridicule Regina or anything, but it was hard not to laugh when Regina looked so sheepish. Almost like she had been caught doing something naughty. Well, she kind of had, but it had been absolutely fucking deliciously naughty!

"Okay then," Regina said meekly. And definitely defeated.

"Have something like that happened before?" Emma asked casually. Regina was definitely not allowed to be embarrassed about this.

"No," Regina said and clicked her tongue slightly. "Stupid hormones."

Emma laughed. "Looks like someone's sex drive is back in action, babe."

"_No en medio de la noche_..." Regina groaned dramatically and rubbed a hand over her face again. "_Dios mio, _how am I supposed to cope if this is a thing now?"

"I wouldn't mind if this is a thing now," Emma grinned. "I definitely wouldn't mind."

"Shut up..." Regina grumbled. "This is awful!"

Emma took note of the frustration in Regina's voice, and the next question came natural: "did you... not finish?"

"No," Regina said flatly. "I woke up right before... Well, it's late and you should-"

"-Help you finish, yes, you're absolutely right," Emma laughingly finished the sentence. "Come here."

"But don't you wanna-"

"I want you. Right now." Emma said. "Come. Come here. Hurry."

Regina stopped arguing and wiggled closer. Emma sat up in bed and motioned for Regina to do the same. When she too was sitting up, Emma hastily grabbed the bottom of her tanktop and pretty much yanked it over Regina's head. Regina let out a sort of breathless giggle that was both adorable and terribly sexy. There was a bit of shuffling, a few quiet curse words as Emma did her best to yank Regina's underwear off as quickly as possible, and then a triumphant little sound when she managed. The panties and tanktop landed with a soft thud on Regina's bedroom floor, and Emma's intention was to get Regina to sit in her lap as quickly as possible, but Regina had other plans. She grabbed the bottom of the t-shirt Emma was wearing to bed and then tugged it over her head. Now things were a bit more even between them, and Emma breathed a soft sigh of relief. The t-shirt had started to feel a little constricting in the chest area. Regina threw the shirt over her shoulder. Emma wasn't quite sure where it landed, and she couldn't have cared less either. Because now she could finally get Regina to sit in her lap. It took a bit of shuffling, a bit of moaning from both of them when Regina's wetness slid against Emma's thigh, and finally a bit of giggling from Regina when she was finally sitting in Emma's lap, but her belly was pressing into Emma's and making this a wee bit more difficult than it normally was.

"Maybe this isn't ideal," Regina giggled as she wrapped her long legs around Emma's waist.

"Nah, it's good. It's perfect." Emma lowered her hands to Regina's growing belly and gave it an affectionate little rub. "Hello, belly."

"_Mi amor_, it's not the belly you have to focus on," Regina said, pushing out her bottom lip as though she was pouting.

Emma laughed as she captured those soft lips in a sweet, slow kiss.

Regina hummed in satisfaction, and her arms looped around Emma's neck as she returned the kiss. It didn't take long before the kiss deepened, and Emma was sucking gently on the tip of Regina's tongue with her own. Her hands wandered from Regina's swelling belly and up to her equally growing breasts. She felt hardened nipples against her fingertips and heard how Regina moaned into the kiss. She wiggled in Emma's lap, and Emma groaned in appreciation when she felt more wetness on her thigh. If this wasn't a little slice of heaven, she didn't know what was. She hoped that Regina would have lots and lots of wet dreams from now on. Plenty of them. And preferably, she would wake Emma every time it happened. Emma was more than willing to offer her "service" in the middle of the night. Seriously, there was nothing better than to be woken up by an extremely horny, pregnant Regina.

Regina broke the kiss and gulped for air. When she had regained the ability to breathe, she said: "I don't need any foreplay tonight, I just need-"

"This?" Emma slyly suggested as she slid her hand down and covered Regina's mound.

"_S-sí_!" Regina hissed. "Oh god, yes!"

Emma grinned wickedly as she applied a bit of pressure to Regina's swollen clit.

"Ngh!" Regina breathed, head falling forward and resting on the top of Emma's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Emma cooed. "I've got you. I know exactly what you need." As she spoke, she pressed the heel of her hand firmly against Regina's clit and then lined up two of her fingers with Regina's wet entrance.

"Do it," Regina said strangled and a bit muffled against Emma's shoulder. "_Por favor_!"

Pleading or begging wasn't necessary. Emma immediately slid two digits inside Regina.

Regina let out a scream, and Emma was on the brink of doing the same when she felt teeth sink into her shoulder. God, Regina was literally the hottest thing! She trailed her free hand down and gave Regina's ass a little squeeze. That made Regina let out another little strangled whimper. Her hands were in Emma's hair now, and she tugged just a little bit at the golden strands.

"You need to wake me up every time this happens," Emma murmured. "Every single time, you hear me?"

Nope, it was pretty obvious that Regina didn't hear anything right now. Her head was still dropped against Emma's shoulder, and she was wiggling a little bit on Emma's lap. Emma knew exactly what she needed, and she slowly began to move her fingers inside Regina.

"Oh, god!" Regina hissed.

"Nah, just me," Emma teased.

Regina let out a little bubbly laugh, and Emma thought to herself that laughing during sex should be a regular thing. At least a regular Regina-thing. Her laughter was the sweetest thing ever. The kind of thing Emma needed a recording of for a rainy day.

"I do love it when you laugh," Emma said softly, sweetly and pressed a kiss to Regina's cheek.

"I... Love...You," Regina said a bit strangled. "_Oh, mierda_!"

"Say something more," Emma half-demanded. "In Spanish. I wanna hear you speak Spanish, babe."

"_¡Me follas tan bien!_" Regina hissed.

"And what does that mean?" Emma asked, scissoring her fingers inside Regina and making her yelp slightly.

"Fuck!" Regina panted.

"Is that what it means?" Emma asked with a soft chuckle. Now she was slowly and gently almost withdrawing her fingers only to plunge the two digits back inside Regina.

Regina let out a whimper, and Emma could feel how her legs tightened around her waist. Regina's mouth was on her neck. Not quite kissing her there, but definitely not not-kissing her either. It was an odd little middle-thing, and Emma quite liked it.

"Come on..." the blonde purred. "Tell me what it means, _mi bellezza_. I'll only keep asking if you don't..."

"Fuck!" Regina huffed against her neck. "It means... You f-fuck me so... good!"

"Fuck," Emma echoed. Okay, that had to be the hottest thing ever! "Say it again!" she almost ordered. "Fuck, Regina, say it again, please!"

"_¡M-Me follas tan bien_," Regina breathed. "_¡Me follas tan bien, Em-ma!_"

"You'll be the death of me," Emma said plainly, building up the pace and thrusting her fingers a bit faster now. "I swear to god, you'll be the death of me."

Regina let out another breathless little giggle at that, and her teeth scraped over the soft skin on Emma's neck.

"Cheeky," Emma commented. Regina's little show of attitude suddenly inspired her, and she gave Regina's ass a little squeeze. Then a playful little swat. Regina reacted by crying out and nearly clinging to Emma's neck.

"Shit, you really like that, don't you?" Emma murmured and upped the pace just a tad. Thrusted her fingers a bit quicker. Curled them against that spot inside Regina.

"U-uh-huh," Regina mumbled vaguely, legs tightening around Emma's waist again. "Make me come Em-ma!"

"Ask nicely," Emma said half teasingly, half sternly and gave Regina's ass another little swat. A slightly harder one. Just to test the waters. She was by no means whacking her, but still hard enough to know that it would bite slightly. Regina had told her that she liked this sort of thing, so why not just give it a shot?

And Regina's reaction was absolutely glorious. She let out a whimper and her hips began to shift as she moved against Emma's fingers.

"Fuck," Emma murmured. Regina's sex drive really WAS back in full flourish. She moaned and wiggled in Emma's lap, and Emma's mouth felt dry when she felt more of Regina's wetness drip onto her hand. "Are you gonna come for me, beautiful girl?" she hummed, leaning in and capturing Regina's lips in a not too gentle kiss.

Regina eagerly returned the kiss, tongue sliding inside Emma's mouth and arms wrapped so tightly around Emma's neck it felt like she was trying to suffocate Emma or something.

Feeling every bit wicked, Emma gave Regina another little swat, and she was more than pleased when she felt Regina pull out of the kiss for a second. Regina really WAS into that. And oh, how Emma was gonna take advantage of this in the future. And if Regina had other fetishes, Emma vowed to find out about all of them. Every single one. But for now, she thrusted her fingers hard and fast all the while she made sure to keep the heel of her hand snugly against Regina's swollen clit. She could feel how Regina's muscles were starting to tighten around her fingers, and she broke the kiss to murmur words of encouragement into Regina's ear. Asked her to let go and come for her.

"Come on..." she coaxed, lifting her hand and swatting Regina's ass again. Both harder and faster this time.

It worked like clockwork. Emma felt Regina's muscle tighten around her fingers, felt how a tremor rocked her from top to toe, and the brunette let out a string of garbled half English/ half Spanish words as she spilled over and fell apart. In the most literal way. First, she was wound completely tight and then her forehead dropped against Emma's shoulder once more.

Emma lightly scratched up and down Regina's back with her free hand, fingers slipping slightly on the thin layer of sweat there. Then, once she was sure Regina had stopped clenching, she gently withdrew her digits from within Regina. A gush of liquid accompanied that little motion.

Regina didn't react to it at all. In fact she had become a sort of deadweight against Emma's shoulder, and for a split second Emma wondered if Regina perhaps had fallen asleep, but then Regina clumsily let herself fall backwards onto the bed, legs still wrapped around Emma's waist and everything. Obviously, that meant that Emma was pulled down with her. She landed smack down on top of Regina.

"Oh god!" Emma exclaimed, immediately hoisting herself up and away from Regina's belly. "Be careful!"

"Wha'?" Regina said a bit dazed. Then she blinked. "Oh. Sorry, baby. Forgot you were there for a second." She gave her rounded belly a fond rub. "You all good in there?"

Emma immediately wondered if Regina was aware that she was in fact talking to the baby, or whether she was just extremely dazed and still somewhere in the post-orgasm state.

"Was that better than your dream?" Emma teased fondly.

"Mmmm," Regina said a bit slurred and clumsily reached for Emma. "Come here, you haven't..."

"I can wait," Emma chuckled. "Don't worry."

"But I wanna-"

"I know you do, but to be perfectly honest, you look a bit boneless right now," Emma laughed. "And not to mention on the verge of falling asleep."

"Oh," Regina said and huffed a bit as she rolled onto her side, so they once again were face to face. "Tomorrow then," she said almost warningly.

"Tomorrow," Emma promised and silently added 'if you feel up for it.'

"In fact I think we should spend the entire day in bed," Regina continued and licked her lips. "At least until I have to go to work, that is."

"You're still horny, aren't you?" Emma teased.

"Yes, I am," Regina openly admitted. "But I'm also too tired to have sex, so..."

"The struggle is real," Emma said softly.

"The struggle is very real, so you better not be laughing at me, miss Swan," Regina grumbled.

"'Miss Swan', huh?" Emma grinned. "You've been spending too much time in Storybrooke."

"No, _mi amor_. I haven't spend enough time in Storybrooke. I want to go back."

"And you will," Emma promised. "Soon."

"I hope so," Regina murmured. "I really do."

Emma gave her a little squeeze. "You will. And then I'll take you out for burgers. And cream sodas."

Regina sighed. "Those damn cream sodas. I wonder where that even came from."

Emma laughed. "So not into that anymore, huh?"

"No." Regina wrinkled her nose.

Emma grinned. No, Regina had shown little to no interest in cream sodas since they came back to Spain. She had been more interested in bacon. And ice cream. Actually, they had eaten almost a whole pint of ice cream before bed last night.

Regina stretched comfortably. "Oh, _querida_, that was really nice!"

"Happy to hear that," Emma snickered. "I hope you'll have lots and lots of those dreams."

Regina made a face. "Only when you're here. Anything else would be unbearable."

"Agreed!" Emma said passionately and gave Regina a little squeeze. She trailed a hand down and palmed Regina's ass. "Was I too hard on you?"

"No," Regina smirked a little. "I liked it."

"Yeah, I could sense that," Emma teased, and Regina bowed her head and looked a tad sheepish. Emma pressed a kiss to her cheek. "No reason to be embarrassed. I liked it too."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. Definitely."

Regina let out a bit of a yawn. "You're sure you don't want me to... you know?"

"I want you to get some sleep," Emma chuckled. "You look like you could need it. And you have work tomorrow night."

"That won't be so bad," Regina said. "I'll have you to entertain me, won't I?"

"Definitely," Emma assured. "Yep. I'll be staying in the bar all night and wait for you."

"And you can help me close up for the night," Regina cleverly pointed out.

"Yep, that too." tomorrow night, Regina did indeed have a shift on the bar. Which wasn't a problem at all. Regina had suggested that Emma could stay in the apartment and watch Netflix or something like that, but Emma had rejected that. She would much rather prefer to come with Regina to the bar and hang out while she worked. And Regina had found that to be a brilliant idea. Had joked that she would mix as many drinks as Emma wanted.

"I'm tired," Regina mumbled. "Damnit."

Emma chuckled. "I'm still gonna be here tomorrow, you know."

"_Sí_, but what if my sex drive won't?"

"Then cuddling is awesome too," Emma said simply, giving Regin another little squeeze and then a kiss on the forehead.

Regina was quiet for a little while. She snuggled up in Emma's arms, and the warmth from her body made Emma feel all drowsy and heavy. It WAS rather late. Maybe it was time they got some sleep. She pulled the covers over both of them. Regina was sort of nuzzling into her breast, and Emma found that to be equally cute and sexy.

"Wasn't I heavy?"

"Huh?" Emma had been on the brink of falling asleep.

"When I was in your lap," Regina clarified. "Wasn't I heavy?"

"Oh. No. As light as a feather."

Regina scoffed. "I don't think that's true."

"Well, it is. You're tiny."

"Won't stay that way."

"Then we'll come up with other positions."

Regina chuckled sleepily. "You'll have to tell me more about those positions tomorrow."

"Deal. But how about some sleep now?"

"Mmm. Sounds reasonable. Goodnight, _querida_."

"Goodnight. Wake me if you have any more dreams."

"Funny," Regina half-grumbled. Then she curled up in Emma's arms. It didn't take very long before her breath evened out and became slow and steady.

Emma stayed awake for a little while longer though. She listened to Regina's breath. And waited. Waited for that "thing" to happen. She had observed it a few times over the past week, and she was curious to see if it would happen tonight as well.

Regina mumbled something in Spanish in her sleep, and yes, indeed, her right hand wandered up and settled on her growing belly. Emma had found that gesture to be so positively curious. There had been several times where she wanted to ask Regina about it, but she hadn't been able to pluck up the courage to actually ask. She didn't want to upset Regina. She had been plenty upset lately. Thanks to Cora. Emma gnashed her teeth quietly. Damn that woman. Regina still hadn't heard anything from her, but when they went out yesterday morning, they had almost stumbled over a bag of groceries. It turned out that Regina's dad had stopped by early with the bag of groceries for Regina. When Regina called him and thanked him, he had said that he "just happened to be in the neighborhood". Which wasn't true at all. Emma positively adored the way Regina's dad always looked out for her. Dropping off bags of groceries when he wasn't in the neighborhood. Telling her that she was more than welcome to move in if she wanted. He had even offered to go with her to any doctor appointment Emma wasn't there for, or Sofía and Alessandra couldn't make. Under no circumstances should Regina go alone. He had very specifically stressed out that from now on, he wanted to know everything. How Regina was doing from day to day. He actually did call her every day now. And his first question was always how she was doing. And how the baby was doing. The baby wasn't taboo in anyway. But Henry had never once tried to talk Regina out of it. It was her decision, and he supported her no matter what.

"_Te estas haciendo mas grande_," Regina mumbled in her sleep, and Emma would have paid a lot to find out what that meant. What was Regina dreaming about right now? Maybe Emma would just have to ask her tomorrow. If she remembered that was. There was a chance that she would have forgotten come morning. Emma chuckled softly to herself, pulled the covers up again. It had slipped down again. Emma didn't want Regina to get cold.

Regina mumbled something again, but this time it was entirely impossible for Emma to hear what she was saying. Emma had to bite the inside of her cheek not to laugh. It sounded like utter gibberish. Not even Spanish, and definitely not English, the blonde thought to herself as she closed her eyes and surrendered to that delicious, heavy feeling spreading through her body. God, falling asleep like this was awesome...

When Emma woke up the following morning, it was to the smell of pancakes. Emma sat up so fast she almost got a bit dizzy, but she paid little attention to that as she grabbed her t-shirt, shrugged it on and then got out of bed and headed straight towards the kitchen and the smell of pancakes.

Regina was standing in front of the stove. Wearing absolutely nothing while cooking. Emma blinked. Right then. Last time Emma was the one to appear naked in the kitchen. Maybe this was some kind of payback.

"Did all your clothes disappear overnight?" Emma warmly teased as she pushed her hair away from her face.

"Maybe it did," Regina chuckled. "Or maybe I woke up hungry and was too lazy to get dressed before making breakfast. Don't tell me you have a problem with it."

"Uhh, definitely not," Emma croaked as she let her eyes rake up and down Regina's magnificent body. Her gloriously long and toned legs to her full hips and that sexy little crown tattoo. Her swelling abdomen and breasts. Okay, maybe it was better to look away. Otherwise there was a chance that Emma would end up dragging her girlfriend back to bed without breakfast.

"Are you gonna sit down so we can have breakfast?" Regina asked with a chuckle as she loaded the last pancake onto the filled plate.

"Or..." Emma tilted her head. "We could bring that plate of pancakes back to bed with us."

"Emma Swan," Regina drawled. "The things you say are completely scandalous."

Emma walked over to her stark-naked girlfriend and put her hands on her hips. She had heard the slight hitch in Regina's breath. "Does that mean that your sex drive is still here?"

"_Sí!_" Regina said immediately. "Very much so!"

Emma laughed and reached out. Grabbing the plate full of golden pancakes, she said: "Come on, beautiful girl. Let's go back to bed."

"Having breakfast in bed... Isn't that a completely scandalous thing to do or something?" Regina half-laughed. "I know what I said last night, but I was dazed. And post-orgasmic..."

"So?" Emma grinned cheekily. "You're going to work tonight. And that'll require all your strength-"

"Let's not overreact," Regina interjected with a headshake and clicked her tongue a little.

"-So I'd say that you have more than deserved a day in bed," Emma continued, completely overhearing Regina's comment.

"Well, I suppose..."

"Come on, baby," Emma murmured and pressed a soft kiss to the hinge of Regina's jaw. "Let's go back to bed and eat pancakes and take pictures. Maybe some of them will even be good enough to forward to that gallerist..."

"Lead the way," Regina said simply, and Emma didn't waste anymore time with talking. She just took Regina's hand and let her back towards the bedroom. Soon they found themselves back in Regina's bed. The plate full of pancakes were placed on Regina's tiny bedside table.

"They're probably still a bit warm," Regina said. "Best let them cool off for a little while..."

"Uh-huh," Emma said, not even pretending not to laugh at Regina's lame excuse. Regina had other things she'd rather do than having breakfast, and Emma was more than willing to play along on that game. It didn't take long before Regina had ridded her of her tanktop and panties. Her mouth was on Emma's right breast, one of her small hands cradling Emma's left breast, and Emma thought to herself that the size was a match made in heaven. There had been a time where she was sad about her small breasts, but today she was smarter. Today she knew her breasts were small because they had to fit in Regina's palm. Designed for that. Absolutely perfect.

The pancakes ended up forgotten on Regina's bedside table. The thought of food was traded for slow, soft kisses and sweet caresses. Later on, Regina would remember the pancakes again and laugh her head off while complaining that they had gotten cold. And Emma would smirk and make a smart remark about Regina's microwave. But for right now, pancakes had never been less important. For right now, pancakes had been forgotten in favor of a little slice of morning delight...

**To Be Continued...**


	31. Chapter 31

Emma puffed up her cheeks and then blew the air out roughly. She felt reluctant. Reluctant to move away from this wonderful bed she was currently laying on. But it wasn't just that. She was reluctant in general. Didn't want to move in general. Because tomorrow night she was flying home from Spain. Again. God, she couldn't believe that she actually had to go home! It felt like she had never been more reluctant to go home. Maybe she had thought that every single time, but now it really felt like this was the worst thing ever. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Regina's stomach seemed to grow every day now. Regina was now sixteen weeks along, and all Emma wanted was to hold her stomach. She was pretty sure that she had felt a foot at some point. She never could get enough of touching and tracing Regina's belly. Even kissing it. And Regina didn't mind it. She actually quite liked it. Ever since she had woken Emma up that night, their sex life had been nothing short of amazing. Regina was pretty much in the mood every day. They had gone to bed early every night for the past week, but it had taken hours and hours before either of them actually went to sleep. And as delightful as that was, Emma had been a bit worried that Regina wouldn't get enough rest, but Regina had quickly brushed that concern aside by being extremely upbeat the next morning. Spunky and full of energy. Emma had sweetly teased her. Had said that it didn't took the sunshine to make Regina's cheeks glow. It took sex. And Regina had scrunched up her nose and had said something vaguely insulting in Spanish. But all teasing aside, they've had such an amazing time together. Emma had kept Regina company in the bar on the nights where she was working, and she had helped Regina with closing the bar when her late-night shift ended. Seeing Regina mix and serve drinks was still entertaining. Although Emma could have done without seeing various guys (and sometimes girls) flirt with Regina. She had tried not to let that get to her but had still ended up mumbling that she didn't like it when the shift was done, and she and Regina were alone. Regina had teased and said that she found Emma's jealousy to be "very sexy". One of the nights where Regina hadn't worked, her dad had stopped by the apartment. With takeout. And two photo albums. They've spend a lovely evening together, eating "garbage food" and looking at pictures of Regina's grandmother, Elena. Who Emma found out had been a flamenco dancer. There had been a picture of her in full costume, and it was exactly like if Regina had time travelled. It was like seeing Regina sixty years ago or something like that. She looked exactly like her grandmother. It was actually a bit scary how alike they were.

But food and photo albums wasn't the only thing Henry was bringing. He also brought news about Regina's mother. He had only heard from her once since the showdown at the house, and according to him, Cora was still in Spain. Where and why he didn't know, and Regina hadn't asked. She had just shrugged and gone 'okay'. She had tried so hard to seem disinterested, but Emma had been able to see the hurt in her eyes. What had happened between her and her mother had affected her more than she wanted to show, and Emma had had to bite her tongue not to cuss Cora out after Henry had left.

"Em-ma? Breakfast is ready!"

Emma blinked and snapped out of it. She could smell pancakes. She shook her head a little as she slid out of bed. Pancakes. Regina had literally been spoiling her so much during these two weeks. It would be right back to the treadmill when Emma came home.

Emma padded into the kitchen in her pajamas and with tousled hair. She hadn't showered yet because she and Regina literally just had woken up. And Regina, who was experiencing somewhat of an energy boost, had insisted on making breakfast for them. Emma had tried to protest and suggest that she made it instead, but Regina had been unstoppable. And out of bed even before Emma had had the chance to grab her. Now she was standing in front of the stove wearing an apron over the oversized, grey t-shirt she had been sleeping in last night.

"Good morning," Emma said, leaning casually against the doorframe and tilting her head as she enjoyed the sight of Regina's gloriously long and golden legs peeking out under the apron.

"Good morning, _querida_," Regina hummed. Her hips were swaying to the music coming out of the little radio she had in the kitchen.

"Someone's in a good mood," Emma smiled.

"_Sí-sí_," Regina said upbeat and switched off the stove. "Set the table, will you?"

"Sure," Emma said and walked over to the cupboard where Regina kept her plates and cups. All of them were gloriously mismatched, and for whatever reason, Emma found that to be very cute.

Regina hummed along to the song playing in the radio as she wiped the stove. She really was in a very good mood today. All upbeat and happy. It was difficult for Emma to remember that she was going home tomorrow when Regina was in such a great mood.

"You hungry, _querida_?" Regina asked as Emma finished setting the table.

"I always am," Emma chuckled.

"Me too," Regina joked and popped the lid off the little bottle with prenatal vitamins she always took at breakfast. "I've made coffee for you."

"You're perfect," Emma said warmly.

"_Lo sé_," Regina snickered.

"And totally bubbly too," Emma observed with a grin.

Regina shrugged lightly as she brought the plate full of newly made pancakes over to the table. "I feel good."

"Yes, you do," Emma said and smiled widely. This definitely had to be that mythical second-trimester-boost-of-energy Emma had read so much about. And however cliché it sounded, Regina was glowing. Quite literally. Her eyes were sparkling Her skin looked absolutely perfect, and it looked as though the glow was coming from within. Her hair seemed both thicker and shinier, and Emma had noticed that her cheeks were starting to get a bit fuller. More rounded. And with that perfect rosy glow. It suited her. Emma wasn't completely sure how she was supposed to go home tomorrow night.

"Let's eat!" Regina said, interrupting Emma's train of thoughts. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I'm not," Emma replied quickly.

"As a matter fact I think you were," Regina half-chuckled as she brought the pot of coffee over to the table along with a carton of orange juice and a plate of fresh fruit. "Sit down, _querida_."

"As Milady commands," Emma joked. "Aren't you gonna take off that apron?"

"Oh," Regina giggled slightly. "Woops. Maybe I'm just really feelin the whole domestic thing."

"Well, as my fake-fiancée, I think you're more than entitled too," Emma said and laughed at her own very, very funny joke.

"My girlfriend the comedian," Regina said dryly as she reached back to untie the apron.

"Maybe you should keep it on?" Emma suggested amusedly as she watched Regina struggle with the knot. "You look so cute." That wasn't a lie. Regina definitely looked cute with the flower patterned apron tied over her swelling belly. Wonderfully domestic.

"But I don't feel cute," Regina mock-complained and grinned devilishly.

"No, you feel sexy, I know," Emma chuckled. That was also very true. Regina did indeed feel sexy. Every night. Hot and bothered, was what she called it. But Emma found it to be absolutely delightful. "Now sit down and eat, woman!"

"_Eres muy mandona!_" Regina mock grumbled as she finally won over the tricky knot and pulled the apron over her head.

Emma scoffed as she informed her girlfriend that she was not 'mandona' at all. Regina laughed at her pronunciation, and then she sat down to have breakfast. She took her prenatal vitamin, and Emma praised the pancakes.

"They're just from a box," Regina scoffed. "Had I been less lazy, I would have made them from scratch. My dad would be so disappointed if he knew that I made pancakes from a box." She laughed, and so did Emma. She knew that Regina was joking.

"So, what do you wanna do today?" Regina continued. "We have a bit of time on our hands before my shift tonight."

"How about we just go for a walk or something?" Emma suggested. They had been up fairly late last night, and she didn't want to tire Regina.

"That sounds nice. Looks like it's gonna be another warm day," Regina commented with a glance out of the window.

"Urgh, it's raining in Maine," Emma groaned. "And Spain is about to enter the hottest time a year, isn't that right?"

"_Sí_," Regina confirmed. "But that's nothing to be jealous about, _querida_. With the size I'm reaching, I would prefer the weather to be colder."

"Good point," Emma nodded. Being pregnant in very hot weather had to be uncomfortable. But Emma was hoping to "kidnap" Regina and take her to Maine before that could happen.

They continued their breakfast séance. Emma ate pancakes with vigor, and for whatever reason, Regina seemed very enthusiastic about the orange juice. So enthusiastic, she actually ended up spilling a few drops of the beverage onto her t-shirt. "Oops," she said and rolled her dark eyes.

"So clumsy," Emma teased.

"_Cállate, señorita Swan_." Regina said dully.

But Emma refused to '_cállate_'. She was far more interested in teasing Regina. "Did you also spill before putting on that apron?"

"No!" Regina said indignantly. "Why would you assume that?"

"Your shirt is stained," Emma chuckled and nodded towards the stains on Regina's grey t-shirt.

"It is n-" Regina stopped talking when she glanced down at her shirt and saw the stains for herself. "What the hell?"

"Relax, honey, it's just a bit of grease," Emma chuckled and took another bite of a golden pancake.

But Regina rose from her chair and tugged at her shirt, and as she did that, Emma could see that the stains on her chest were growing and turning into larger splotches. "That is not grease," Regina said flatly and looked somewhere between surprise and embarrassment. "That is me leaking..."

"Oh," Emma said slightly surprised. She hadn't actually thought about that. But of course that was a thing too. It made perfect sense.

"God damnit," Regina sighed. "I'll be right back."

She stomped off towards the bathroom, and Emma wondered whether she should offer her help or something. But then she heard Regina curse softly in the bathroom, and she figured that she would prefer to deal with this on her own. And so Emma continued eating pancakes. But she did pour Regina a second glass of orange juice. Orange juice seemed to be the thing today, and obviously, Regina should have as much as she wanted. And she had also shown much interest in the red apples, so Emma sliced up a few more for her. Regina needed all the food she could get.

"Well, now I know what we're going to do today," Regina said sardonically as she came back into the kitchen. "Shopping for nursing pads. That's gonna be fun..."

"We'll find some," Emma soothed and looked at her girlfriend. She had changed out of the stained t-shirt and into a fresh, blue one. Clearly with a bra under.

"I hope so. Because I don't think tissues-in-bra is a lasting solution," Regina half-joked as she sat down heavily on the chair. "Why the hell didn't I think that I would need nursing pads?" she took a bite of the sliced apple, chewed and then quietly continued: "probably because I figured that since I wouldn't be nursing, I wouldn't need..." she trailed off and focused on her apple.

Emma didn't say anything either. She hadn't thought about that colostrum, the first type of milk would come in. As much as she had admired Regina's changing breast size, she hadn't exactly thought about what it all meant. That Regina's body was prepping for breastfeeding. But obviously, it was, and Emma hoped that the thought of that wouldn't make Regina upset.

"Also, we're not having sex anymore," Regina announced.

Emma choked on the sip of coffee she had just taken. "Wha- why?!" she croaked.

Regina shrugged. "I've just read that things have a tendency to leak even more when stimulated in one way or the other, so..."

"But I don't care about that," Emma said immediately.

Regina wrinkled her nose in disgust. "_I_ care. In fact I'd be mortified! So either you'll stop touching me there whenever we have sex, or I'll keep my bra on."

Emma stuck out her bottom lip. "I'm not really a fan of either of those options."

"No, me neither." Regina sighed and rolled those dark eyes of hers. "God, pregnancy is so glamorous, isn't it?"

"You make it look ridiculously glamorous, honey," Emma said firmly. "No one does pregnancy better than you do!"

"Yeah? You really think so?" Regina asked and suddenly looked a bit insecure.

Emma reached across the table and took her girlfriends hand. "You're rocking it, beautiful girl," she assured. "Every single day."

Regina snickered a little. "Thank you, _querida_." Then she glanced down at her clean t-shirt. "_Dios,_ that was embarrassing."

"No, it was not," Emma said plainly. "It was a pregnancy thing. And those never fall under the 'embarrassing-category'. Not ever."

Once breakfast had been eaten and they both had showered and gotten dressed, they headed out. Their first stop was a store where an almost overly friendly woman helped Regina with finding a pack of nursing pads. Their next stop was a public bathroom where Regina quickly went in and got herself "sorted out". Meaning slipping the nursing pads inside her bra. When she remerged from the bathroom, she looked a bit sheepish and settled for an "uh-huh" when Emma asked if she had gotten things fixed.

Emma took her hand as they walked down the street hand in hand. They didn't really have a plan. Not apart from getting what Regina needed at least. Emma took pictures of the square, because let's be honest, even though she had been here a handful of times already, _Puerta Del Sol _didn't stop being a beautiful place. Albeit a bit crowded.

"Too crowded," Regina corrected when Emma said it. "Sometimes I wish that I lived in a quieter part of Madrid. Or a quieter part of Spain."

"Yeah?" Emma asked, lowering the camera. "And where would that be?"

"Granada. Where _abuela _Elena came from. Or maybe Tenerife. Although there wouldn't be particularly quiet. But at least I'd be close to a beach."

Emma tilted her head. "You'd like that? Living close to a beach?"

"Mhmm," Regina smiled. "That wouldn't be so bad."

"No, it wouldn't..." Emma mused out loud. "I wouldn't mind that either..."

"Where would you like to live then?" Regina curiously prompted. "If you could choose whatever you wanted?"

"Laguna Beach!"

Regina tilted her head. "That came out awfully fast, _mi amor_."

"Yeah, I suppose it did," Emma agreed and chuckled a little. "I've just always wanted to live in a house on the beach. Probably the romantic in me..."

Regina snickered softly and gave Emma's hand a gentle squeezed. "You know what, one day we'll have to drive down to Granada. Would you be interested in that?"

"Absolutely!" Emma said warmly. She had seen pictures of Granada in the photo album Henry had brought with him, and she could easily see that it was a breathtaking place.

"It's a bit of a long car ride, but it's definitely worth it," Regina continued. "We'll have to do that the next time you're here."

"Definitely," Emma agreed. "I'll look forward to that."

"And I'll look forward to seeing you again," Regina murmured. "I can't believe you have to go home tomorrow. Where did these two weeks even go?"

"Shh!" Emma said half-jokingly. "Maybe it'll go away if we ignore it, yeah?"

"Cute, but I don't think so, _querida_," Regina said and looked like she was trying to quell a sigh.

After having wandered around and window shopped for a while, they eventually ended up on one of those pavement cafes where the chairs always tilts just a little. Emma ordered herself an ice coffee, and Regina ended up choosing a strawberry milkshake.

"Is that a thing now?" Emma asked curiously and wondered if it would be acceptable for her to snap a picture of Regina while she was sipping the milkshake out of a straw.

"I don't know," Regina said with a light shrug. "And I've given up on figuring it out."

Emma chuckled a bit. Her hands wandered to the camera around her neck. She _had_ to take a picture of Regina. She literally had to. Everything just... matched. Regina was wearing a cap-sleeved pink dress. She had attached pink flowers to her hair, and she was sipping a pink milkshake out of a pink straw. Seriously, this was perfect.

Regina had become suspicious over Emma's sudden quietness, and she squinted slightly as she looked up. Her eyes darted from Emma's hands wandering up to her camera and back to the blonde's face. "What are you up to?"

"Picture?" Emma asked sweetly.

Regina released a deep and throaty groan that could have made Emma think of other things. But not today. "Pretty please?" she begged.

"But I'm sweaty!" Regina pointed out.

"No, you're not. You're perfect. The picture is perfect. Everything's pink. Come on. Please?"

Regina chuckled amusedly like she always did whenever Emma slipped into 'photography-mode.' The things I do for love," she said dramatically. "Fine. Should I do something special or should I just...?"

"Keep sipping milkshake and pretend that I'm not here."

"Now that is something I'll never be able to," Regina quipped. "But I'll keep drinking milkshake. Anything else would be pretty barbaric."

Emma got her picture, and when she looked at the finished result, she quickly decided that this would be one of those she framed. Exactly like she had framed her and Regina's first airport-selfie.

"God, this is good!" Regina said and made another groaning sound as she sipped her milkshake. This time it was definitely not a groan of annoyance, and Emma's mind immediately went back to last night. Regina had groaned exactly like that then too. It was a glorious sound. She lowered the camera. Watching Regina enjoy the milkshake was so much more interesting.

After their little outing, they went back to Regina's apartment and stayed in for the remainder of the day. They watched television and had a great time although Regina showed signs of paranoia. She kept checking the front of her dress for signs of stains. "There's nothing there, honey," Emma said gently. "You're fine."

"I know." Regina sighed. "But now it has happened once. It can happen again."

"Maybe, but no one will be able to see the stains," Emma soothed. "Not when you're wearing those pads."

"Maybe not. But I'll be able to _feel_ it happening," Regina said tightly and shifted a bit as she looked down at herself.

Emma grasped her hand. "You're being a bit paranoid now, honey."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one with leaky boobs."

Before she could stop herself, Emma snorted in amusement.

"That is so not funny!" Regina protested and punched Emma on the arm, but she sounded like she was laughing too.

"Ouch! Stop hitting me, woman!" Emma laughed and couldn't resist to tease: "I thought I was the one who was supposed to smack _you_."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Not like this," she said simply.

Emma smirked. "Tell me... What's the punishment for hitting your loving and ever so attentive girlfriend?"

As expected, Regina flushed a bit and did that thing where she bit her lip. Which of course prompted Emma to reach for Regina and go 'come here'.

Regina shifted so she was sitting in Emma's lap with her legs wrapped around her waist. Exactly like she had that night where her dream had woken the blonde. Emma made absolutely attempt at 'punishing' her. Instead she lowered her hands to Regina's growing belly.

"_Te gusta mi barriga_," Regina commented with a little smile dancing on her lips.

"Huh?" Emma frowned. She didn't quite catch that.

"You like my belly," Regina translated with a chuckle.

"Oh. Yeah, I do," Emma openly admitted and proceeded to lovingly cradle the bump on Regina's stomach. "It's very cute. And... sexy."

Regina snorted. "Don't use that word."

"Why not? You _do _look sexy!" Emma said firmly. "Very, very sexy."

"The baby can hear you," Regina teased.

That made Emma look back at her girlfriend's face. "Seriously?"

"Mhmm. My brilliant little app told me so."

"Wow," Emma said plainly and gave Regina's belly a little rub. "That's pretty amazing."

"_Sí_, so you better moderate your language. Otherwise he will hear you say bad words," Regina teased and laughed heartedly.

Emma was just about to go along on the joke when she noticed something. "'He'?" she softly echoed.

"Huh?" Regina frowned in confusion.

"It's just..." Emma tried to sound casual when continuing: "you said 'he'' Otherwise 'he' will hear you say bad words'."

"Oh," Regina was clearly trying to be casual too when she continued: "he. Or she. Or whatever. I don't know. It's gonna be something."

"Right," Emma agreed. Still with faux lightness to her voice. She wasn't interested in pushing Regina. But it would appear that she couldn't quite stop her hands from caressing the baby bump. Over the last week, the closer she got to the date where she had to go home to Maine, the baby bump had become a magnet. She wanted to touch and caress it all the time, and she couldn't bear the idea of leaving Regina. She would be all by herself. Well, obviously she had her father, but he couldn't be with her all the time. What if something happened? What if one of the guests at the bar where Regina worked got a little too handsy with her? It was particularly the late nights where Regina closed the bar by herself that Emma detested. She knew that yes, it was a part of Regina's job, and yes, it was something she had done a million times already, but now the mere thought of it left a sick feeling in Emma's gut. Of course she had talked to Regina about it. She had been afraid of coming across as paranoid, but Regina had actually been very understanding. She had suggested that she could call Emma every time she closed up at the bar, and then they could talk while she closed up and until she made it back home. Emma had found that solution to be a good one. But she still didn't like the idea of her pregnant girlfriend being left to close up in a bar alone.

"Are you trying to make Blueberry move prematurely or something?" Regina giggled, and Emma realized that while she had been thinking, she had been sitting and tracing Regina's belly for a while.

"I thought I was here because you wanted to kiss me," Regina pouted. But her eyes sparkled.

"I always wanna kiss you," Emma assured.

"Then do it," Regina ordered, and her voice went low and husky as she continued: "_Bésame, señorita Swan_."

And obviously, Emma couldn't resist that. She gently grasped Regina's chin and captured those pouty lips in a sweet, slow kiss. One that had Regina mewling and winding her arms around Emma's neck. The series playing on the television was easily forgotten in favor of things of greater importance...

That same evening, Emma was back in the bar. Back at the table near the counter. Back to sipping sangria while 'hanging out' with Regina. Because even though Regina was busy mixing drinks and serving customers, it still felt like they were together. Now and then, Regina looked up and smiled at her. She still looked lovely as ever even though she had changed out of her pink dress and into her "work gear". Dark blue jeans (with extra room!) and a Rick James t-shirt. Pregnant or not, she could still rock such an outfit every day. And she was very popular. Those who didn't order a drink still came up to the counter to chat with 'Roni'. That who Regina was here. That was who she was known as. Roni. Never Regina. There hadn't been a single person calling her Regina when she was working here, and Emma took great pleasure in saying "hi, Roni" whenever Regina passed by her table. It was a fun little game because nobody else knew that Emma was Regina's girlfriend.

Emma took a sip of her sangria and observed as her girlfriend stirred another drink. She still found that to be oddly sexy. There was just something about the way Regina mixed the drinks and stirred them with such professionalism. Often accompanied by that sweet smile of hers. It wasn't at all difficult to understand why Regina was one of the most popular waitresses. One of the reasons why the manager had just shrugged and gone 'okay' when Regina announced her 'condition' to him. As far as he was concerned, Regina could work for as long as it was physically possible for her to do so.

Emma emptied her drink and wiped her lips on the napkin. She was having a great time listening to the loud music in the bar. Not at all bored like Regina had predicted she would be. She liked seeing Regina work. She enjoyed seeing how Regina in some way transformed and became younger when she worked. How some of the responsibility seemed to be lifted off her shoulders. Here she was simply... Roni. And it was obvious that she sometimes needed to be just that. Just Roni minding her job and mixing drinks. No responsibilities.

As summoned by Emma's thoughts, Regina appeared by her table, and her smile was just a tad more kittenish than the smile she send to other customers were. "That drink looks a bit empty, _señorita_," she purred.

"So it does," Emma said, struggling to keep a straight face. There was no doubt that Regina enjoyed this little "roleplay".

"Would you like a refill?" Regina asked sweetly and leaned in. Whether it was to flirt or relieve some of the growing pressure on her back remained unclear, but either way it was a very sexy little gesture.

"Yes, please," Emma smirked. "A refill would be great."

"Won't be a moment," Regina promised as she snatched the empty glass and sauntered back to the bar.

"You minx," Emma muttered to herself as she watched Regina dance around behind the bar. Her hips never stopped swaying as she poured more sangria into the glass. The music in the bar was loud, and Regina clearly enjoyed that too. Emma knew that she missed dancing flamenco. The pregnancy had forced her to give that up. Spinning around made her feel dizzy, and it would only be a matter of time before she wouldn't fit into her dancing shoes anymore. At least that was what she had jokingly said, but Emma knew that she was genuinely sad about being unable to wear her flamenco dress.

After a little while, Regina came back with another sangria for Emma. "There we are," she briskly announced. "One sangria for the lady."

"Thanks, hon- Roni," Emma hastily corrected and chuckled at her own mistake. "Oops."

"Don't blow my cover," Regina laughed. "I'm not so sure my boss would be happy if he knew that I'm having 'private time' while working."

"My lips are sealed," Emma assured solemnly and glanced around in the bar. "Busy night, huh?"

"Bit of a busy night," Regina nodded. "Lots of thirsty people."

"Including me," Emma grinned and lifted her drink. "Cheers, sweetheart." She took a sip of the sangria and then realized what she had just said. "Oops. Sorry."

"Don't you worry about that," Regina scoffed. "It wouldn't be the first time someone has called me that."

"I bet," Emma said and gritted her teeth. "And I'm pretty sure that guy over here-" she nodded discreetly towards a man sitting near the bar. "-Tried to look down your shirt a moment ago."

"I know. I was there," Regina said flatly. "But then I walked around the counter. He saw my belly and suddenly had no interest whatsoever. Works like magic."

"Sim-sala-bim," Emma joked. "Pretty neat trick, really."

"I know," Regina snickered. "Nothing says back off like a belly like this one." She lightly patted her growing belly, and Emma wished that she could take a picture. Regina looked so cute while doing that.

"Anyway," Regina briskly continued and moved her hand away from her belly. "I better get back to it. Otherwise my boss will be upset."

"Have fun," Emma joked, raising her sangria. "I certainly will."

"Well, we can't all be on vacation, can we," Regina scoffed, and with that she sauntered back behind the bar to mix the next drink.

Emma sipped her sangria and tapped her foot up and down in synch with the music. The tune was catchy, but it wasn't like she was enormously in the mood for dancing. At least she wasn't right now. But perhaps later when the bar was empty, and Regina was supposed to close it down for the night. It wouldn't be the first time she and Regina had done a bit of slow dancing in the bar. Spinning around too quickly made Regina dizzy, but slow dance she could handle. And that was something Emma had taken advantage of for the past week.

Emma treated herself to another little sip of sangria and watched as Regina greeted another costumer who clearly was someone who often came there. He was old, maybe around seventy, and he had that 'delightful grandpa' vibe going on. As far as Emma could tell, he hadn't been there for at least a couple of weeks, because he excitedly gestured towards Regina's belly and then congratulated her. Regina took all of that in strides. She smiled and laughed and said '_gracías, __señor Pedro_'. Then she served him a very large beer. Emma was slightly impressed over how much one guy could drink. If she tried that, she would probably end up asleep under the table. But the guy was older, so he probably had more practice than her. Or maybe it was a super power seventy year olds gained.

Emma chuckled dryly to herself. She did not want to picture herself as a seventy year old. It was bad enough that she was turning twenty nine in... twenty two days. God, the thought of that was almost unbearable! Twenty nine. That was literally only one year away from thirty. And _that_ was gonna be tough. She glanced up at the bar where Regina now was chitchatting to one of the other waitresses. She knew that she shouldn't hope that Regina would be there for her birthday, because Emma knew that she couldn't. She couldn't afford it. But she had promised to call Emma and sing her a birthday song. And Emma had already decided that they were gonna skype that day. She didn't care what other plans she had that day. She wanted to be with her girlfriend on her birthday. Emma's mouth twisted a little. Once again, the distance and ocean between them gnawed at her. Sometimes she hated that ocean so much it was almost ridiculous. Sometimes she legitimately thought about uprooting her life and relocating to Spain. But of course that was madness. Of course she couldn't do that. It was bad enough that she had plans about leaving Storybrooke. She couldn't relocate to another country. That would crush her poor parents. And her friends.

But as Emma sat there and nursed her drink, she couldn't help but wish for a middle of sorts. A place where they could meet halfway. And preferably be together all the time. A place that was both Spain and Storybrooke. Somewhere perfect. She scoffed a bit into her drink. Did such a place even exist? She doubted it. But still, it wasn't ridiculous to wish that she and Regina could live together at some point, was it?

No, Emma decided. It wasn't. Couples moved in together all the time. There was nothing weird about wishing the same for her and Regina. Nothing weird at all.

Imagine waking up to Regina every single morning. Kissing her goodnight every night. Emma had absolutely no problem with envisioning that...

As the night progressed, Emma saw many people leave and arrive at the bar. Quite a few "characters". A woman wearing an over-the-top gala dress, and a man wearing a tie and swimming trunks. How Regina managed to act like that was just the next customer in line was a bit of a mystery to Emma. She had trouble with keeping a straight face when the man adjusted the tie as though he wanted it to sit perfectly over an invisible shirt. Or when the woman brushed dirt off her dress and said something Emma couldn't understand, but she sounded incredibly snobbish, and after the woman had left, Emma thought to herself that if she had been a writer, she'd had enough material to start a novel. She told Regina that the next time she swung by Emma's table.

Regina chuckled. "_Sí_, you meet many interesting people here. That woman's name is María. She comes here every weekend in her fanciest dress. She always order one drink and then she leaves. I'm still waiting for her to tell me her life story. I'm sure she has experienced many, many things."

"She looks the type," Emma agreed with a short laugh.

"And how are _you_ doing?" Regina asked and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Dreadfully bored?"

"No way, I'm enjoying myself!" Emma huffed. "I like watching people come and go. And I like watching you work."

"Yeah, because I look so sexy when I'm mixing drinks, right?" Regina teased.

"Definitely. And if you're really lucky, I might do something about that later," Emma said boldly. And this had nothing to do with the two sangria's she'd had tonight.

Regina's eyebrows rose as she went "oh?"

"Oh yeah," Emma assured.

Regina flushed and blamed it on hormones. "Well, that sounds very..."

"Interesting?"

"_Sí_. Interesting."

Emma chuckled wickedly. "Well, I have a feeling that it will be just that."

Regina cleared her throat and seemingly did her best to snap back into custom-mode as she said: "well, apart from prompting you to make lewd suggestions, is there anything else I can get you, _señorita Swan_?"

"Yeah, I'd like some peanuts actually," Emma said with a grin. The two sangria's had made her hungry after something salty. And any excuse to make Regina come back to her table. Any excuse to see her swagger back to the bar with her hips swaying from side to side...

"Right then. Some peanuts. Coming up," Regina said and flashed Emma an amused look. She probably knew what Emma was doing.

But Emma didn't care about that. All she cared about was keeping a close watch as Regina elegantly sashayed up to the bar and found one of those little bowls, they used to serve peanuts in. One of the waitresses came over and said something to her. Regina answered in Spanish, and while the two of them chitchatted, Emma busied herself with looking at the door again. It was amusing, really. How entertaining it was to observe the people who came and went in the bar. Emma wasn't bored at all. Quite the contrary. And she hoped that the next person walking through the door would be another 'character'. Maybe not a lady in a fancy dress or a guy in swimming trunks and tie, but still a character.

But the guy coming inside the bar looked totally normal. Unfortunately. Average height. Wearing a pair of jeans and a green button down. He had sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and a bit of a scruffy stubble. Just an average guy. Plain and 'boring'. Well, at least he was compared to the guy in the swimming trunks and tie. Emma chuckled a bit to herself and watched as the guy crossed the floor and walked up to the counter. She saw Regina look up to greet the newest customer like she always did. But instead of delivering her usual smile and greeting, Regina paled visibly as she looked at the man coming towards the bar desk. Literally, her face seemed to drain of blood in a matter of seconds. She sat the bowl of peanuts down hard on the edge of the desk. And as Emma watched this strange little scene play out in front of her, it didn't take long before her brain connected the dots. She had never seen this man before. And yet she immediately knew who he was...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Lo sé= I know.

Eres muy mandona!=You're so bossy!

Cállate, señorita Swan= Shut up, miss Swan.

Bésame, señorita Swan= Kiss me, miss Swan.


	32. Chapter 32

Emma watched as the guy- Robin!- sat down at the bar. He opened his mouth, undoubtedly to order a drink, but then he realized who he was looking at, and the only thing he got out was a faint: "uhh..."

Regina's expression quickly changed from horrified to disgusted as she looked at Robin. She was still standing behind the counter, so her belly wasn't visible.

Emma had the strongest urge to go up there, snatch Regina and then nope the fuck out of there. But it wouldn't look too good if she did that. She couldn't just snatch Regina away right in the middle of her shift. She could end up getting her fired. Emma was unsure of what to do when she saw Regina and Robin look at each other like two animals unsure of whether to attack or flee. There was a moment of silence where it actually looked like Regina was about to loose it and give Robin a piece of her mind, but then she spoke. Her voice was dangerously calm as she said: "Hello, Robin. Long time no see. How's Marian doing these days? I've had the pleasure of meeting her. Several times."

"Uhh..." Robin stuttered.

"I figured you'd had found a different bar to go to, but what do you know," Regina continued completely dryly. "What do you want? To _drink_?"

"I, uhm..."

"We don't have that," Regina snipped. "I suggest you make up your mind quickly. You only have an hour before we close."

Emma rose from her chair and walked up to the bar. Sat down on one of the tall barstools close to where Robin was sitting. This situation could explode at any given moment, and Emma wanted to be ready for that. She wanted to be close by so she could rescue Regina if that would be required. Or possibly punch Robin in the face. Or both.

"Whiskey," Robin spluttered. "A whiskey."

"Right." Regina turned her head and called into the backroom: "_Melania! ¿Puedes venir y darle un whisky a este tipo? Tengo otros clientes_."

A tall girl, roughly the same age as Regina but with bleached blonde hair emerged from the backroom. She shot Robin a look, and when he was occupied with his phone, she lowly muttered to Regina: "_¿Es ese el gilipollas?_"

Robin clearly wasn't that fluent in Spanish. Otherwise he'd probably have picked up on that. Or maybe he was just too stupid to realize that Melania had just insulted him.

"_Sí_," Regina mumbled just as lowly, and Emma watched as Melania patted her shoulder and said: "_No te preocupes, lo manejaré._" She turned her attention to Robin and asked rather unfriendly: "whiskey?"

"Yeah," Robin said and looked like he found her to be exceptionally rude.

Meanwhile, Regina took the opportunity to slither away from him. She was almost pressing herself against the long desk as she went, clearly doing whatever she could to keep her bulging belly hidden from his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked quietly, leaning in and pretending to be the customer Regina was busy with.

"No," Regina said shortly. "This is going to explode sooner rather than later. I can't stay hidden behind the counter all night!"

Unfortunately, she had a point about that. She couldn't stay with her belly out of sight. That was impossible. But right now, there weren't any new customers coming in, so she could linger behind the counter for a little longer. Robin got his whiskey and began sipping from it. Emma immediately hated him. She had done that a long time, but now when she finally added a face to the name, the hate swirling within her became even stronger. She hated everything about him. His dirty blonde hair. His unshaven scruff. The way he sipped whiskey. And the way he looked at Regina and then quickly looked away again as though HE was uncomfortable. Emma grit her teeth not to scream at him. He had absolutely no right to be uncomfortable. He was the one who had acted like a massive asshole. A massive asshole who was still wearing his wedding ring, Emma noted. So he and Marian were still together. How lovely.

Regina shifted behind the bar and looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Emma reached out and patted her hand. Maybe they could be so exceptionally lucky, Robin would finish his whiskey and get out of here before Regina had to leave her place behind the counter.

But there was no such luck. Of course there wasn't. Another customer stepped in. A woman with greying hair. Emma recognized her from the other nights. She was a regular. And an impatient one too. The kind of customer who always made a fuss if she wasn't served immediately. And unfortunately the kind of customer who always requested 'Roni'. Because she was the waitress who was the quickest to mix a drink. Emma's heart sank when she saw the woman gesture towards Regina from her position in the far corner of the bar. Regina shook her head a little and looked oddly prepared for battle as she stepped out from behind the counter and over to the woman to take her order.

Emma watched as Robin followed Regina's walk from behind the counter and over to the woman in the corner. She observed as his eyes landed on the way her rounded belly pushed her black top out. And then he choked on his whiskey. Completely and utterly. He hacked and spluttered and coughed. So he wasn't a complete idiot. Good to know. Melania threw a napkin across the counter to him so he could mop up his spilled drink, and he did. And Emma noted that his hands seemed to tremble a little. Regina on the other hand was a complete ice queen as she took the woman's usual order. She completely ignored Robin's existence and continued to be a very professional waitress who smiled at her customer and nodded when she asked her something. Then she turned around and walked back up to the counter. She ducked down and found several bottles. Then she began to mix and shake. Her hands were not trembling.

"You're... You're..." Robin was clearly struggling with his words. Emma glared at him.

"What am I, Robin?" Regina asked tiredly as she poured liquid into a glass. She popped a lid on the glass and shook it.

"You're..." he rubbed a hand over his forehead. "Shit!"

Regina send him a look that undoubtedly would have made him go up in flames if she'd had magical abilities. Emma opened her mouth to say something to her, but Regina silenced with her a look and a slight headshake.

"How... How far along are you?!" Robin croaked.

Regina ignored him and continued to mix the drink. When she was done, she elegantly sashayed back to the woman. She gave her the drink accompanied by her usual sweet smile and bubbly comment. One could only admire her grace. Meanwhile, Robin was sitting and shifting on his chair. His eyes kept darting back and forward between Regina and the door, and for each time he glanced at the door, Emma thought less and less of him. But even though running away would be a coward's way out of the pickle, Emma sort of wished that he would. That would be one way to be rid of him. Maybe he would just run away and never he heard from again. What a fucking luxury that would be!

But unfortunately, he was still sitting tight when Regina came back behind the bar. He leaned forward slightly, and Emma didn't like it one bit. It looked like he was trying to intimidate her or something.

"I asked you a question," he hissed. "How far along are you?!"

"I suggest you keep it down!" Emma warned and glared at him. She didn't give two shits about the way he gave her a surprised look suggesting that she was an interfering stranger. She was not, and she was definitely more than willing to play this game!

Regina shot him a look so dangerous, Emma would have run for the hills if she had been in Robin's shoes. "I don't have anything to say to you, Robin," she said coldly. "Absolutely nothing at all. In fact I'm working. So unless you're about to pay for that-" she nodded towards his whiskey. "You don't have any reason to talk to me."

"Any reason-" Robin spluttered again. "It looks to me like I have PLENTY of reason to talk to you! He gestured wildly towards Regina's swelling belly.

"Be careful!" Emma growled in warning.

Robin's head whipped around, and he looked at her. "Sorry, but who exactly are you?!"

"Regina's girlfriend," Emma said simply.

"Girlfriend?!" Robin repeated, now looking as though he was faced with an unbearable challenge. He rubbed a hand over his stubbly cheek and looked back at Regina. "Wait, so you're-"

"I'm WORKING," Regina interrupted. "That's what I am. And I am NOT about to have some ridiculous private confrontation with you at my work, so I suggest you-"

"I am not about to just up and leave!" Robin snapped. "Not when you're walking around all..." he didn't finish the sentence. He just kept staring and staring at Regina's belly as though he was trying to burn a hole in it.

"Fine," Regina said dryly. "Then you'll have to stay until my shift ends in about an hour. You'll get exactly two minutes to say whatever it is you have a sudden urge to say, and then I'm done. Got it?"

Robin didn't seem overly satisfied with that, but he didn't protest. His new strategy was apparently to sit and stare at Regina's swelling belly, and Emma noted that Regina protectively placed a hand on her belly.

"Why don't you find something else to look at?" Emma suggested with ice cold politeness. She wasn't about to get herself kicked out for threatening Robin.

And it actually worked. After having glared at Emma for a moment, and achieving nothing in doing so, Robin turned his attention back to his drink. Emma could see that he had paled considerably since stepping inside the bar, and to her, it looked like he was desperately trying to do the math so to speak.

Emma took a large swig of her sangria. It didn't taste of anything anymore. Maybe because she had lost all interest in drinking it. Her main focus was Regina. She couldn't take her eyes off of her as Regina walked around in the bar and tended to the other customers. She too looked rather pale. Maybe even nauseous. Like she had been in the beginning of this pregnancy. Emma growled quietly. If this rattled her so much, she ended up getting sick... Emma would never forgive Robin!

Regina kept on going, though. Kept mixing and serving drinks. But the smile was gone, and it was obvious that her hands were doing all the work. She looked like she was miles and miles away. Her shoulders were tight. Drawn up to her ears almost. Her jaw was set, and she had a very determined look in her eyes. A look that more than said 'fight me!'. She was ready for battle.

Emma narrowed her eyes as she looked at Robin again. Was that how this was gonna end? With a battle? Well, if that was the case, Robin would be the one to loose that battle! A hundred percent. Seriously, Emma was more than ready to either kick Robin in the teeth or break his nose if he started anything. Who knows, maybe he'd even look better with a broken nose. He gave Emma the "ickies". And not just because he'd been with Regina. It was his energy. She had no problem with picturing him sitting in a bar and hitting on waitresses ten years younger than himself. How old was he even? Thirty two? Thirty three? Definitely older than Regina. By far.

Emma looked away from him. Looked at the place where Regina had been a moment ago. But now she wasn't there anymore. While Emma had been busy glaring at Robin, she had slipped away, and Emma looked around in bewilderment. Until Melania leaned forward and murmured: "_baño_".

"Right. Got it. Thanks," Emma said, hastily standing from the tall barstool and slipping behind the counter and through the door that lead to the staff's bathroom. Normally, the guests weren't allowed back here, but Emma chose to believe that she would meet no one with authority to kick her out. And if she did, there was a fair chance she would resist it. Right now her main focus was to find Regina.

It didn't take long before she was standing in front of the door to the staff's bathroom. She knocked gently on the door once.

"_¡Saldré en un minuto!_"

"It's just me, honey," Emma said softly. "Can I come in?"

The locked clicked once, and Emma wiggled inside the tiny bathroom. Regina was standing in front of the sink. Dry-eyed and with her eyes tightly closed as though she was trying to poof herself away from the bathroom and the bar. And Robin. She looked up and glanced at Emma in the mirror. "I don't think you're supposed to be in here, _querida_."

"You know me. I'm a rebel," Emma said lightly. She was hoping that the lame joke could make Regina chuckle, but tonight she didn't even manage to knock a smile off Regina. She didn't look like she was about to cry. She just looked...done. Drained. "Are you okay?" Emma asked gently.

"Do I look okay to you?!" Regina snapped.

Emma recoiled at the sudden harshness and took a step backwards as though Regina was a scared animal.

"Oh god, I'm sorry!" Regina said and cupped a hand over her mouth. "Emma, I'm-I'm- I'm sorry! I shouldn't have snapped at you! Will you accept my apology?"

"Depends on how you're delivering it," Emma joked and opened her arms. "Come here, honey."

Regina released a deep sigh as she willingly stepped closer. Emma immediately enveloped the younger woman in her arms. Held her tight without saying anything.

"Of all the bars in all of Madrid..." Regina mumbled a bit muddled against Emma's shoulder. "Why does he choose to come into mine?!"

"I don't know," Emma said gently and rubbed Regina's back in slow circles. "Maybe he didn't think you'd be here? Maybe he's been here while you've been in Storybrooke?" she hugged Regina as tightly as she could without squashing her belly. "But it doesn't really matter, does it? The bottom line is that he's here and that he's upsetting you."

Regina laughed grimly. "I'm not upset. I'm pissed! He looks at me like he's _EMBARASSED_. Like I'm some kind of... _puta_."

"Okay, I know what that means, and I will not have you call yourself that!" Emma growled. "Nor will I let him look at you like that! I swear to god, I'll punch him in the face before he gets the chance to-"

"You're good at that," Regina interrupted and chuckled. "I saw you punch Neal in the face."

"You sure did. And I won't be above doing the same to Robin," Emma assured. "I'm sure it'll feel just as good."

"I'm sure it will," Regina croaked out another laugh but then grew serious again as she said: "have you noticed that he hasn't called me by name at all? I'm telling you, he can't remember my name."

Emma made another growling sound. She had in fact noticed that Robin hadn't once used Regina's name when he had spoken to her.

"Why am I so unlucky?" Regina groaned with her forehead pressed against Emma's shoulder. "First my mother walking in and finding the prenatal vitamins and now Robin walking into the bar where I'm working! Why am I always going through some kind of streak of bad luck?!"

"I don't know, honey," Emma said softly and rubbed Regina's back again. "It isn't fair." And it really, really wasn't. It was so utterly unfair that fate seemed to be targeting Regina again and again.

"Urgh, I feel sorry for myself," Regina acknowledged with a slight sight and rolled her eyes as she lifted her head from Emma's shoulder. "And I had promised myself to be a big girl about this..." she cleared her throat, walked over to the mirror where she gave herself a throughout inspection. She fluffed up her hair and reached within the little clutch she'd brought with her into the bathroom. She fished a lipstick out of the clutch and applied more of that red shade to her lips.

"You look awesome," Emma told her.

Regina smiled but then deflated. "I don't feel awesome."

"I know you don't, but you are. Lipstick or no lipstick. He can't bring you down!"

"At least not unless I let him," Regina meekly joked. "And lets be honest... in my fragile state, that could easily happen."

"My offer about punching him in the nose still stands."

Now Regina chuckled as she slipped the lipstick back in the clutch. Then she gave her swelling belly something that couldn't be anything but a fond caress. "You know what, kid? I don't think he was pleased to see you..."

Emma couldn't help but laugh. Because that was obviously what Regina wanted her to do, but also because she found that to be so incredibly cute. Regina rubbing her belly and calling the baby 'kid'.

Regina sighed and straightened her posture as she glanced back towards the door. "Do you think that there's any chance he'll be gone when I come back?"

"Honestly? Not really," Emma said softly. "But say the word and I'll grab him by the collar and throw him out on the street..."

Regina chuckled warmly once more. "No, _querida_. No, I think it's better that he and I say what needs to be said. I have a couple of things I'd like to tell him, and I can imagine he feels the same way..." she rubbed her belly again. "Two minutes. That's all he gets."

"Two minutes," Emma nodded.

Regina tilted her head and looked at Emma with her big, cocoa-colored eyes. "You'll stay though, right? I don't think I want to be alone with him-"

"The hell are you talking about," Emma interrupted and practically huffed. "Of course I'll fucking stay!"

"Good."

Now Emma was the one to tilt her head. "Did you think that I was planning on waiting outside or something?"

"Not really," Regina said quickly. "But I realize how uncomfortable this must be for you too, _querida_."

Emma scoffed. "I daresay it's more uncomfortable for you, Regina. Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm just worried about YOU..."

"I can handle Robin," Regina said firmly and joked: "rather him than his wife, right?"

"Nope, still not a fan of her either," Emma said tightly and winced as the image of Marian slapping Regina across the face popped up in her head.

As though she knew what Emma was thinking about, Regina absentmindedly rubbed her cheek. "Well, I better get back. My break is over. Well, technically it ended two minutes ago, but..."

"You ready to get out of here?" Emma asked softly.

"No. But I can't very well stay in the bathroom forever," Regina dryly replied. "Come on..."

They left the bathroom and headed back into the bar. Unfortunately, Robin was still sitting on the barstool where they left him. Someone had graced him with a second whiskey, and he was glaring a bit at them. Like he was afraid that Regina would have snuck out of the back. Which Regina never would have done. She wasn't a coward like Robin. She continued to ignore him completely as she tended to the other customers who had come in in the meantime.

Emma sat down in the chair next to Robin. Just to keep an eye on him. He clearly had a hard time keeping his eyes to himself. He kept staring at Regina. Staring at her belly. With a rather frantic look in his eyes. Emma scoffed quietly into her sangria. Maybe the douchebag was trying to convince himself that this couldn't be happening. That was completely innocent and had no part of at all. _Well, guess what, buddy? You had_, Emma thought to herself. Robin wasn't paying much attention to her. He was far busier staring at Regina, so Emma pretty much had free rein to observe him. He was actually a pretty tough nut to crack. Or maybe he was simply too dumb to form any thoughts. Why was he even here? Shouldn't he be home playing devoted husband to his wife? And picture perfect daddy to his child?

Emma suddenly felt a little sick upon remembering that Robin actually had a child. An adorable child, according to Regina. A boy. A little brown-eyed boy with curls. Before she could stop herself, Emma imagined Regina with a brown-eyed, curly-haired child. Boy or girl? She wasn't sure. And before she could make up her mind about it, she reminded herself of what was real and what wasn't. It wouldn't be Regina's child. It would be Alessandra and Sofía's child. Of course. That was how it was supposed to be. Emma had just gotten sidetracked there for a moment. That was all. It was no big deal. She took another sip of her sangria and winced a little bit. It had become a bit... dull. Not that much taste in it anymore. But she had no intention of ordering one more. She'd already had two, and she wasn't interested in getting drunk. Unlike Robin. He was taking large swigs of his whiskey. Maybe he was hoping to get completely shit-faced before talking to Regina. Emma couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad thing. Would he be less of an asshole if he was drunk?

Emma glanced back at Regina. She shook her head a little and rolled her eyes. Of course. She had seen Robin drunk before, and she clearly wasn't impressed at all. Her hand wandered up and settled on her belly again. She clearly didn't like the way Robin was staring at it. And Robin didn't like seeing her touching her belly. Emma saw how he cringed, and she was immediately overwhelmed with a persistent urge to punch him in the face. She had to look away from him...

One hour later, the bar closed, leaving Regina with the job of shutting it down for the night. Wiping the tables and counter down. Putting away the glasses and sweeping the floor if required.

Emma sat tight and waited as the other bar-guests slowly got up and left. Robin followed her example. He wasn't drinking whiskey anymore. Instead he was sitting leaned back on the barstool with his arms folded across his chest. Like a bored teenager. Emma could have murdered him right on the spot.

Regina kept on being professional as she said goodnight to the guests leaving. She called a taxi for one or two of them, that was all routine, but as soon as the last guest had left closed the door behind him, her attitude changed from sweet and professional to fight-mode. She left her spot behind the bar, came round it and folded her arms across her chest as she looked at Robin. Somehow the gesture only made her belly seem even more round and prominent. "So," she said and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you'd like to say now? You've got two minutes. It's late and I'm tired."

"You're _PREGNANT_!" Robin spluttered.

Emma released a long sigh and turned her eyes to the ceiling. Of all the things in all the world, this was what Robin chose to go with.

"Am I?" Regina said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gosh, I never would have noticed if you hadn't told me. Congratulations. Your vision works perfectly."

Emma suffocated her amusement. That was her girl right there. All sassy and perfect.

"But- I... how?!" Robin kept spluttering and rubbed his unshaven jaw roughly.

"Seriously?" Emma scoffed.

"Well, jeez, Robin," Regina said irritated. "We had sex. I got pregnant. You do know biology, right? Or do I have to explain how things works?"

"But you were on the pill!" Robin protested, cheeks coloring with anger as Regina openly insulted his intelligence.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Was I really? Did you actually ask me that? Because I don't think you did..."

Robin said nothing. He had definitely NOT asked Regina whether she was on the pill or not.

"Nice job, buddy," Emma interjected with a roll of her eyes.

Robin's head whipped around, and his blue eyes narrowed as he looked at Emma. "I don't think I caught your name?"

"That's because I didn't give it," Emma told him. "Emma. Emma Swan."

"Emma Swan," Robin repeated. "And do you mind explaining to me why you're a part of this? Seeing that your '_girlfriend_' cheated on you."

"I met Regina _after_ the whole thing with you happened, you son of a-" Emma stopped herself before she ended up calling him something really rude. "So no, Regina has NOT cheated on me. At all. Because she's not at all like you..."

Robin ignored that and looked back at Regina. "Regina?" he repeated. "But your name is Roni. You told me so!"

"No," Regina sighed. "You read that off the nametag I was wearing that night. But as we started chatting, I actually told you that Roni is a pet name, and that Regina is my real name. I'm surprised you can't remember it since you said it a lot that night..."

"_O_kay!" Robin snapped. "So I might have forgotten some details, alright? I was drunk. And so were you!"

"Have you heard me deny that I was?" Regina said plainly.

Robin's jaw opened and closed, but he didn't say anything.

Regina laughed humorlessly. "You were too drunk to remember my name afterwards, and yet you seem to clearly remember me telling you that I was on birth control!" she shook her head and made her dark curls bounce. "I mean, come on, Robin, why do you think I told you to wear a fucking condom?!" she shook her head again. "I get your surprise. Believe me, I do. I was as surprised as you are when I found out. I was under the impression that condoms were pretty safe, but I guess it must have leaked or ruptured or whatever..."

Robin's paleness had suddenly reached a state where Emma could have been concerned about him, had he been less of an asshole. He rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw again. "The condom..." he said weakly.

"Yes?" Regina said tightly. "What about it, Robin?"

He looked anywhere but at her. Clearly had trouble with looking her in the eyes.

"What about the condom, Robin?" Regina snapped and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Is this the part where you tell me that you felt it break but chose to do nothing or-"

"I wasn't wearing one," Robin interrupted. He was ash-faced and still looking at the table.

Emma opened her mouth to say something loud and fast, but she wasn't capable of forming words right now. Her mind went totally blank as she watched Regina sway slightly and then grab on to the edge of the bar desk. "W-what?" she said. Almost whispering at first, but then her voice grew in volume. "_What_?!" she snapped. "But I ASKED you to wear a condom!"

"I didn't have one on me at the time, damnit!" Robin exclaimed and threw his hands in the air, knocking over his glass of whiskey in the process. "And I probably would have been too drunk to put it on anyway!"

"So instead you pretended?!" Regina bellowed. "You tricked me into having unprotected sex?!"

"I thought you were on birth control!"

"So, why the hell didn't it occur to you to actually ASK me instead of just assuming?!"

"I don't know!" Robin snapped. "I wasn't thinking, okay!"

"At least not with your head," Emma interrupted and glared furiously at Robin. "God, you are such an asshole!"

Before Robin could get the chance to say something for himself, Regina cut him off by asking: "are you clean? Or should I be worrying about sexual transmitted diseases on top everything else?!"

"I'm clean!" Robin snapped.

"How long has it been since you were tested?" Regina continued tonelessly.

"I get tested regularly!" Robin hissed.

"Well, thank god for that," Regina said sardonically. "Nice to see that you at least take some sort of responsibility-"

"What about you?!" Robin interrupted and glared at Regina. "Anything I need to worry about? I mean, I doubt it's the first time you've-"

"I would strongly suggest you don't finish that sentence, buddy!" Emma interrupted and stood from the barstool. Her hands had curled into fists, and she was more than prepared to send Robin flying across the room.

"I get tested regularly too," Regina said almost sweetly. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"Apart from the obvious, you mean!" Robin said and glared at Regina's swelling belly.

Regina's hand immediately flew up to protectively rest on the bump. "That's not something you need to worry about either."

Robin scoffed as he glanced from Regina to Emma. "So what, you're gonna play happy family or something?" before either of them could get the chance to answer that, he continued: "why didn't you just... you know..." he rubbed his jaw harshly once more. "There are ways to deal with these kind of things! You could have-"

"_¿Me estás tomando el pelo?!_" Regina exclaimed, almost shrieking.

Both Emma and Robin recoiled. Emma because what Robin had said was completely outrageous, and Robin most likely because Regina was yelling.

"Wow," Emma said dryly and felt her jaw tighten as she looked at Robin. "You're a real Robin Hood, aren't you?"

Robin didn't react to that. He kept looking at Regina as he said: "so, exactly what is your plan? I have a family, you know! A code I live by, and I have no intention of breaking that code-"

"As I said, a real Robin Hood," Emma said tightly and felt a bizarre urge to laugh because Robin was so utterly ridiculous.

"And where was that code when you slept with me?" Regina asked dully. "When you said you were using a condom when you actually weren't?"

Robin opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, but didn't say anything.

"Yes, I'm well aware you have a wife," Regina continued, still completely dully. "I've met her. Several times. Lovely woman. I was especially fond of her when she smacked me in the face!"

"You're gonna raise this child on your own then?" Robin continued, ignoring Regina's remark. "_MY_ child..."

"No," Regina said. "The baby will be raised by a perfectly wonderful couple with plenty of love to give and all that it takes to care for a child."

Emma could have sworn she saw the hand on Regina's belly trembling a little.

"You're giving it up?" Robin said, eyebrows raising towards his hairline, and arms folding across his chest.

"I'm giving the baby its best chance at having a happy, carefree life!" Regina hissed. "With parents who can provide for him or her in every way possible. That does sound like a very good decision, doesn't it?"

Robin opened and closed her mouth, but nothing happened. After a moment, he regained the ability to speak. "Maybe the child could... I don't know-" he interrupted himself and drummed his fingers against the desk. "Maybe it could-"

"What?" Regina sneered. "Stay with you and Marian? Is that what you're about to suggest?"

"Well, it's my child too, isn't it?" Robin snapped. "And one family can be just as good as another, can't it?! I mean, if the child stays with me, it would at least be with its father-"

"You have GOT to be fucking kidding me!" Emma hissed.

"What she said," Regina dryly nodded. "If you think that I would let this baby stay with a woman unhinged enough to stalk a girl, or a man so 'family-orientated' he has little qualms with 'forgetting' that he has a wife and son back home just because he'd rather hit on a waitress, and furthermore trick someone into having unprotected sex... Then you have another thing coming!" she took another step towards Robin, eyes blazing, and chest puffed up. "You will never come anywhere near this baby! Not as long as I'm around!" she took a shaky breath. "And your two minutes were up a minute ago. Now get out of here and leave me alone!"

"Fine!" Robin bellowed and stood from the barstool so suddenly, it ended up on the floor with a loud bang. "Do as you please!" he half-yelled, clearly getting angry now that Regina had rejected his 'generous' offer. "But don't ever be a bother to me or my wife!"

"The only one who has been a bother is your wife!" Emma interjected. "She's the one who's being acting like a crazy stalker!"

Robin ignored that and kept looking at Regina. Sneering and jaw tightening when looking at Regina's swelling belly. "I should take this further," he groused. "Your claim isn't worth much! I saw you that night! You were flirting with other customers too! Who knows, maybe you made a mistake, or something! That baby probably isn't even mine! Maybe you just have trouble remembering who you slept wi-"

"_¡MALDITO GILIPOLLAS!_" Regina yelled, and suddenly things were happening very quickly. One minute Robin was standing and spewing venom at Regina, and the next he was interrupted by a sharp and loud almost cracking sound. He stumbled backwards while grabbing his right cheek. That was when it occurred to Emma that Regina had just slapped him across the face. Hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Robin bellowed, taking a step towards Regina, and towering above her. He was at least a head taller than she was. "You insane little-"

"Hey!" Emma hissed, immediately placing herself between Regina and Robin and poking said asshole hard in the chest with the tip of her index finger. "You back off right now, buddy! You're threatening a pregnant woman right now, and that's usually the kind of stuff that makes people call the police. And right now, I'm people, so..." Emma let the rest of the sentence hang in the air. She wasn't the least bit afraid of Robin. And being the daughter of a sheriff, her dad had insisted that she took self-defense lessons. Right now those lessons came in handy. Always aim for the eye-socket or crotch. Heel palm strike. Good to aim at either the nose or throat. Never underestimate the power of a solid elbow in the ribs. Yes, Emma was fully prepared to physically fight this asshole if she needed to. She glared at Robin. He glared back. Neither of them said anything. Emma's pose radiated 'what's it gonna be?', while Robin held onto his anger. At least for another ten seconds or so. The message and threat about the police seemingly went through loud and clear. He turned around and marched out of the bar with obnoxiously and unnecessarily loud footsteps. The glass in the door rattled as he slammed it shut behind him.

"Congratulations, you made the right choice," Emma growled loudly and turned around.

Regina was still standing behind her. Her face looked like it had been drained of color and she was clutching a beer bottle in her right hand. She too had been ready to attack, it would seem. Emma felt sick when thinking about if this had happened when Regina was alone in the bar...

"Well, that was ugly," Regina said hoarsely. Her bottom lip trembled slightly.

"Yeah," Emma nodded and looked at the bottle in Regina's hand. "You wanna put that down now?"

"Oh," Regina said a bit surprised. "Yeah, sure." She dumped the empty bottle on the desk. "I pretty much just went for the first thing I could find."

Emma gently grasped Regina's elbows. She didn't like the ghostly white color in Regina's cheeks one bit. "Sit," she said half-sternly as she guided Regina to the nearest chair.

"I'm fine."

"I believe you. Now sit."

Regina sat down and released the whoosh of air Emma suspected she had been holding for far too long. "Well, that was baby daddy," she said dryly. "Charming man, isn't he?"

"That is not even funny," Emma growled.

"No, it's not," Regina quietly agreed. "We had unprotected sex. I told him to wear a condom and he didn't. And I was too drunk to pick up on it..."

"That is so not the main issue here at all!" Emma said firmly. "You asked him to wear a condom and he didn't and tricked you into believing that he had. THAT'S the issue, and absolutely nothing else!"

Regina looked at the table in front of her. "I was not flirting with any other customers that night," she whispered and when she looked up her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "That's not how I am at all! I was flirting with him because he flirted with me! That's what happened-"

"Regina, stop," Emma said softly and grasped her chin. "He was just spewing venom. I KNOW the real story, okay? You don't have to explain anything to me."

"Why didn't he just ask me if I was on birth control?!" Regina said exasperated. "Maybe he was drunk, but not THAT drunk for Christ's sake! He could have put two and two together and figured out that there was a risk of knocking me up when he didn't use protection!" she pressed a palm against a forehead. "And WHY was he so good at making it sound like this was all my fault?!" she sighed deeply. "Always the villain. Even when I'm not." She scolded her features into something that was supposed to be a smile. "But at least I got the chance to slap him in the face. I've fantasized about that many times."

"It was a damn good slap," Emma praised and chuckled softly. "Did it feel good?"

"Not as good as I had hoped," Regina sighed, fingers circling her growing belly. "I hope that this won't be a problem. The thing he said about wanting the baby to live with him..."

"That was just an idiotic guy's half-assed attempt at owning up to his responsibility," Emma said quickly. "You could literally see that he didn't mean any of it. So much for his 'code'!" Emma had her own ideas about where Robin could stick that code!

Regina nodded a bit and glanced out of the window. "You don't suppose... You don't think he could still be out there, right?"

"No!" Emma said quickly and firmly. "I heard tires squealing after he'd left. Believe me, he's gone." But what if he came back? What if he showed up one night when Regina was alone in the bar? No. Emma refused to believe that that was even a possibility.

"You're right," Regina said, interrupting Emma's train of thoughts. "I heard that car too. I'm just being silly." She stood from the chair and attempted to bend down so she could pick up the chair Robin had knocked over, but Emma was faster than her. "Let's get back to your place," she suggested once the chair was taken care of.

"But I have to take care of things here," Regina pointed out. "Wipe the tables, and-"

"I'll do it. Don't move," Emma warned and grinned a little when she finally managed to coax a little smile out of Regina.

Regina didn't move an inch as Emma 'flew around' in the bar like an effective little tornado. She wiped the tables, swept the floors and scrubbed the glasses.

"Now I feel guilty," Regina said. "You're literally doing my job, _querida_."

"Yep, and I'm happy to do it too," Emma smiled. "You had a rough night. You deserve a break."

Regina smiled for a split second but then her expression grew resigned. "I am so sick of causing drama all the time!"

"You didn't cause any drama, beautiful girl. He did."

"_Sí_, but it was because of me, was it not?" Regina snipped. Her expression softened as she placed a palm on her growing belly. "And because of this. It all comes down to Blueberry."

Emma abandoned the last glass she had been in the middle of cleaning. She walked over to Regina and cupped her cheeks. "You've just defended Blueberry like a motherfucking badass!" she said it because she knew it would make Regina laugh, and it did, but Emma was much more busy thinking about what Regina had said to Robin. '_You will never come anywhere near this baby! Not as long as I'm around!_'. Yes, it was said in the heat of the moment, no doubt of it, but... it was spoken like a... Like a mother. There was no other way to describe it, really. Emma swallowed hard and quickly smiled at Regina to hide what was going on in her mind.

"Should we head back now?" Regina asked softly. "This place looks pretty spotless to me."

"Yeah, let's call it a night," Emma nodded. "I think we could both need to crash."

"And I have a very hot date with a bag of chips," Regina joked.

"Oh? That so?" Emma chuckled as she draped an arm around Regina. "Can I be a part of that too?"

"Sure," Regina half-laughed. "I'm sure the chips won't get jealous."

"Happy to hear it, beautiful girl. Happy to hear it."

Emma and Regina left the bar. Emma had her arm draped around Regina's shoulder. Because it was a cute thing to do, but also because she quickly could pull Regina behind her in case Robin was still lurking outside. He wasn't though. The street were full of happy, slightly drunk people, but Robin was not one of them, and Regina looked pretty relieved once done scanning the crowd. "I must have been more drunk that night than what I first thought," she said and scrunched up her nose. "I mean, what was I even thinking? He was absolutely terrible!"

"We all do slightly weird things when we're drunk," Emma soothed. "Hell, I once gave Neal a lap dance because I had too much tequila... I still think about that a lot."

Regina actually spluttered at that. "You gave him a lap dance?! Seriously?"

"Yep," Emma said gravely. "Afraid so."

Regina laughed heartedly. "Well, I hope he appreciated it. I know I certainly would."

Emma caught the metaphorical ball thrown at her. "If you're really lucky... I might give you one someday."

"Be still my beating heart," Regina groaned. "And my poor, overloaded system."

Emma laughed and gave Regina's shoulder a soft little squeeze. "One day, beautiful girl. But for now... chips?"

"Chips," Regina agreed and jokingly licked her lips.

And back to Regina's apartment they went. Where Regina was reunited with her bag of chips. She propped her feet up, leaned back on the couch and declared that she was 'so over this night'.

Emma silently agreed with her. She too was a hundred percent over Robin Locksley and his unfathomable stupidity.

Regina laughed when Emma told her this. "Wonderfully put, _querida_," she praised and stuffed a handful of chips inside her mouth.

"Thanks," Emma chuckled, feeling overwhelmed with tenderness as she looked at her girlfriend. On the verge of tears a moment ago, and now happily eating chips like it was nobody's business. Regina bounced back quickly, and thank god for that. But still, Emma hoped that this would be the last time Regina would need to bounce back from anything. And like Regina, she hoped to hell that Robin wouldn't turn out to be a problem in the future...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Melania! ¿Puedes venir y darle un whisky a este tipo? Tengo otros clientes= Melania! Can you come over and give this guy a whiskey? I have other clients.

¿Es ese el gilipollas?= Is that the asshole?

No te preocupes, lo manejaré= Don't worry, I'll handle it.

Baño= Bathroom.

¡Saldré en un minuto!= I'll be out in a minute!

Puta= Whore.

¿Me estás tomando el pelo?!= Are you kidding me?!

¡MALDITO GILIPOLLAS!= DAMN ASSHOLE!


	33. Chapter 33

"After having carefully weighed pro's and cons and done a throughout soul-search..." Emma said, teasingly running her fingers up and down Regina's naked and slightly sweaty back. "I've decided that I'm not going home tonight anyway. Instead I'm gonna stay here and beg your boss to hire me..."

Regina chuckled a tad hoarsely. "I seem to recall that you said something similar the last time, _querida_."

"Yeah, well, this time I'm serious," Emma quipped and threw the covers over Regina's naked body. "Here, I don't want you to get cold."

"Cold?" Regina laughed. "I don't think it's possible to feel warmer than I do right now."

Emma snickered warmly. She felt the same way. She and Regina had just spent a lovely extended morning in bed. Their clothes had ended up on the floor, and Emma really didn't feel like putting it back on right now. She was far too comfortable in this position. Her chest pressed against Regina's naked back, and her crotch pressed against... Well... One of the reasons why Emma really, really didn't feel like moving.

"Mmm," Regina hummed. "Why can't all my mornings start like this?"

Emma snickered. Felt a bit wicked even though she had done something 'unforgiveable' this morning. She had roused a pregnant woman from her sleep. And not even to bring her breakfast in bed. But for sex. Completely scandalous. But Regina had been delighted. First, she had been all adorable and sleepy and asked if something was wrong, but then as Emma had started to unabashedly kiss her neck and then given her panties a suggestive little tug (perhaps not the blonde's best attempt at seduction), Regina had laughed and said 'oh'. Emma had of course asked if Regina felt okay, if she felt up for it. The answer to that had been '_sí_ and _sí_, and so their morning in bed had been delightfully extended.

But now it rather seemed like their morning in bed was about to end. Emma pouted when she felt Regina remove herself from her and then shift to sit up in bed. "No, wait!" she moaned dramatically and clumsily reached for Regina. "Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom," Regina chuckled. "That's okay, right?"

"Oh." Emma dropped her hands down. "Yeah, that's more than fine. You're coming back to bed though, right?"

"_Sí_, that certainly was the plan," Regina snickered. "You did wake me up rather early."

"Yeah, I know," Emma said, only partially feeling sorry for what she'd done. "But I wanted to make the most out of our last morning together."

"And my, how we did," Regina smirked as she stood from the bed and stretched gracefully. She lifted her arms and moaned slightly when her back made a little creaking sound.

"Be careful," Emma half-scolded and tried not to stare too much at Regina's breasts. Damn, that was difficult.

"YOU be careful," Regina teased, and her laughter echoed in the bedroom as she disappeared out in the little hallway, wiggling her ass as she went.

Emma chuckled softly to herself and forced her unwilling body into a sitting position. What a wonderful morning this had been. Their sex life had been amazing right from the very first time, but now... well, it really felt like things were better than ever. Regina was way more sensitive to touch, and her body reacted quicker and stronger now. Seriously, the orgasms she'd had earlier... Emma shook her head at the memory. Those had been un-fucking-believable. Emma puffed out air and sighed. Every time she came to Spain to spend time with Regina, it was with the knowledge that she had to leave sooner or later. And it was killing her. Had since day one, but now that Regina's belly seemed to have swelled a bit more every day, it was harder than ever. Leaving Regina and the little one here was excruciating. Especially after the show-down they'd had with Robin last night. Even though Regina seemed to have 'bounced back' fairly quickly, she had still been unable to fall asleep right away when they went to bed. After a bit of coaxing from Emma, she had admitted to be mulling over some of the things Robin had said to her. How he had accused her of sleeping around. Emma had fought the urge to find Robin and bash in his stupid face, and then they'd talked about. A long time. Until Regina finally felt soothed enough to fall asleep. Emma had held her as she slept, and while she was glad that Regina had fallen asleep, she had also been crazy worried. Afraid that Robin would come back to the bar one of the nights where Regina were closing up on her own. That was a vulnerable position before, but now that she was pregnant, it made it an even more vulnerable position. And Emma sort of hated it. She knew that Regina needed to earn money, and she respected that Regina wanted to support herself, but damn, Emma wished that there had been other options than the late night shifts at the bar.

The floorboard outside the bedroom creaked and revealed that Regina was on her way back, and Emma was quick to snap out of it. She had almost been disappearing into her own mind. And she definitely didn't want that today. This was her last morning/day with Regina, and she didn't want to let that go to waste.

Regina came back to the bedroom with her phone in hand. She was frowning softly. "Anything important?" Emma asked.

"No. I'm just reading up on stuff," Regina chuckled.

"Pregnancy stuff?"

"What other stuff is there?" Regina joked. "I wanna know what my 'symptoms' this week are."

"True that," Emma chuckled and patted the empty space in the bed. "Come and read to me."

Regina crawled up in the bed and got settled in a cross legged position. Her dark hair fell over her face as she bowed her head, and Emma immediately took the opportunity to kiss Regina's naked shoulder.

"Hey," Regina protested with a chuckle. "You better stop that right now."

"Or what?" Emma challenged.

"I can't read to you if you keep doing that," Regina scolded.

Oh. That was a good point actually. Emma always wanted to know about this week's 'pregnancy-stuff'. "Okaaaay," she mock groaned. "I'll stop. Now tell me what your handy-dandy app says."

Regina chuckled and then cleared her throat: "Blueberry has morphed into an avocado this week. The eyes and ears have settled into a normal position. The baby's legs are developing. Blueberry is about 4.5 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces. Next week, baby will begin a major growth spurt."

"Oh, really?" Emma said, resting her chin lightly against Regina's shoulder. "That's really interesting, honey. I love catching up on blueberry-stuff."

"I know you do," Regina chuckled.

"So that's what happening with kiddo," Emma continued, fingers itching to touch Regina's belly, but maybe not right now. "What about your symptoms?"

"Well, the tender breasts stuff follows me into this week," Regina quipped. "And I might start to become forgetful."

"Really? Oooh, pregnancy brain, right?" Emma grinned.

"_Sí_." Regina puffed out air. "Then there's brighter skin due to increased blood flow, heartburn, nosebleed, and-" she stopped talking and went: "eww. No, I'm not gonna tell you that, it's disgusting."

"I don't think anything is disgusting. You know that."

Regina ignored her and continued: "I might have to stay off spicy food to avoid heartburn. And-" now she was definitely wrinkling her nose. Even Emma could see that.

"What?" Emma asked. "Tell me?"

"It says here that I should count on gaining between 12 and 15 pounds this trimester!" Regina exclaimed. "Might fluctuate a bit depending on how much I weighed at the beginning, but _dios mio_!" she shook her head. "I'm gonna be enormous by the time I'm ready to deliver! I'm gonna be massive! Huge! _Una maldita casa!_"

"You won't be a house," Emma chuckled.

"Yes, I will," Regina said, sounding ever so tragic. "I'll become a whale and then you won't think I'm sexy anymore..."

"Okay, THAT is just the worst bullshit I've ever heard," Emma growled. "And if I ever hear you say that again, I'll spank you."

Regina turned her head quickly, and her mouth fell open as she stared wide-eyed at Emma. And only now Emma realized what she had just said. Oops. She could feel herself flushing, but maybe what she said wasn't such a bad thing. Regina was flushing too. Delightfully so. And biting her lip. Oh my.

"It's not fair to say that kind of stuff to me when you're going home tonight," Regina half-moaned.

"Sorry," Emma said sheepishly. "I wasn't thinking."

Regina chuckled. "Clearly not. But I liked it."

"Keep reading," Emma said hastily. "Tell me more pregnancy-stuff." Otherwise there was a really big chance that she and Regina would end up spending the entire morning between the sheets.

Regina snickered. Then she bowed her head over her phone again. Emma busied herself with scratching lightly up and down Regina's naked back.

"From now on, I could feel Blueberry move," Regina announced.

"That's not fair either," Emma murmured. A bit boldly, she slid her hands down and placed them on Regina's rounded stomach. "Come on, Blueberry. Move," she said playfully, hoping that it would fly well with Regina. That she would take it for what it was. Simple goofing around.

And luckily enough, Regina chuckled warmly. Thank god.

"Come on," Emma continued, feeling a bit more confident now that she was sure she hadn't upset Regina. "Be a good little Blueberry and move." She tapped Regina's belly teasingly.

"I don't think anything is happening, _mi amor_," Regina laughed. "But I promise you, you'll be the first one to know when it does. You and Alessandra and Sofía of course."

"Of course," Emma echoed.

Regina turned her attention back to her phone and made a noise of disgruntle. "This stupid app is recommending me to 'check out different pregnancy pillows'! What is this madness?"

Emma laughed. "Is that like a body shaped pillow or something?"

"Looks like it from the pictures," Regina sneered. "No way. I'm not swapping you for a pillow!"

Emma laughed again. "Fair enough."

Regina looked back at her phone. Then looked up, turned her head and gave Emma a mischievous smile. "You know what this app tells me, _querida_? That my orgasms may be more pleasurable..."

"Really?" Emma said with faux surprise. "Tell me more..."

"'Due to increased blood flow to the pelvic area, orgasms will be easier achieved and more pleasurable," Regina quoted with a naughty little chuckle.

"Oddly enough, I already knew that," Emma teased.

"My body also produces even more oxytocin," Regina told her, now giggling.

"That better last all through the second trimester!" Emma groaned. Seriously, it wasn't fair that Regina's symptoms were this lovely when Emma couldn't be around.

"I'm sure they will," Regina soothed. "Don't you worry, _querida_."

"Oh, they better be, otherwise I'll- wait hang on!" Emma interrupted herself. She had just spotted something very interesting. "Your app can be synchronized with my phone!"

"_Sí_, it can," Regina nodded. "That's right."

"Wait, you already knew that?" Emma huffed. "Why didn't you tell me?! We totally have to do that!"

"We do?" Regina turned her head and then tilted it adorably. "Really? You want that?"

"Hell yes!" Emma said immediately and read over Regina's shoulder. "'Synchronize with your partner's phone to let them know how you feel'. What does that mean exactly? How does it work?"

"Well, you'd receive updates on your phone. Weekly updates," Regina hesitantly explained.

"What kind of updates?" Emma asked eagerly.

"Uhmm, mostly what's going on with Blueberry, how much he or she has grown, what body parts are developing, but also how I'm doing. You know... symptoms and all that."

"We have to do that!" Emma said excitedly. "That way I can know exactly what's happening with you and Blueberry! That's brilliant!"

"Yeah, but..." Regina bit her lip and her gaze dropped to her lap. "It's mostly an... uhmm, an 'expecting father' kind of thing. At least that's how they recommend it. For the father to be."

"Okay," Emma said softly, excitement simpering down now that Regina looked like that. She gently put a finger under Regina's chin to tilt her face up. "But does it really matter?" she asked gently. "That it's a thing for expecting fathers, I mean? It could be a thing for us too if we want. For when I can't be with you physically. I'd love to receive updates on how you're doing. How Blueberry is doing. That way I could be totally all-knowing when I call you and drop facts like 'your back is hurting today' or 'Blueberry is the size of a banana today'. I think it could be kinda fun, actually. But only if you're comfortable with it."

Regina flashed her a smile. "I'd like that. I don't have that many people to share this with, so it would be nice if you could be totally up to date on everything."

"My point exactly," Emma said. "How long have you known that app could be synchronized to my phone?"

"Since I downloaded it," Regina said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Honey, I'm not asking you to apologize," Emma chuckled. "I'm just curious as to why you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want to overwhelm you. Your phone would be flooded with updates every week, and I-"

"Nonsense," Emma interrupted and pecked Regina's pretty lips. "Completely and utterly nonsense. I WANT my phone to overflow with pregnancy updates every damn week, okay? If I could choose, the updates would come in daily, but that's not an option, is it?"

"I don't think so," Regina chuckled.

Emma reached out and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. "Come on. Show me how this synchronization thing works."

"Right now?"

"Right now, beautiful girl."

"Okay then," Regina chuckled. "Give me your phone."

Emma handed Regina her phone, and Regina quickly set things up so the app on her phone now would synchronize with Emma's. It didn't take long before Emma received a notification on her phone. Filled with balloons and 'your partner wants to keep you updated!'

"Tasteful," Regina said flatly and rolled her eyes.

"Very," Emma half-chuckled. "But hey, now I'll get updates every week! That's a good thing."

"Oh yes, now you'll know of every last embarrassing symptom I might have," Regina joked.

"Yup, there's no hiding from me anymore," Emma teased and mock growled. She even went as far as forming her hands as claws.

Regina chuckled, and so did Emma. Especially when she heard another growling sound. One that came from Regina's stomach.

"_Tengo hambre_," Regina said quite unnecessarily.

"I can hear that," Emma grinned. "Any special requests this morning?"

"Waffles. Do we have that?"

It turned out that they did. And while they were hanging out in the kitchen in their bathrobes and stuffing themselves with waffles, Regina's phone rang.

"That's my dad," Regina said after having glanced at the screen. "I better see what he wants."

"Feel free," Emma chuckled and waved her waffle. "I'm plenty busy."

Regina snickered slightly as she lifted the phone off the table. She swiped a finger over the screen and brought it up to her ear. "_Hola papi__, _do you mind if I speak English? That way everyone can be a part of the conversation."

Emma grinned.

"I'm doing good," Regina said chipperly. "How are you, daddy?"

Emma listened as Regina's father answered in Spanish. She couldn't quite understand that, but she did pick up on Henry saying her name.

"Yes, Emma is still here," Regina replied. "I'm taking her to the airport tonight, but for right now we're having breakfast." she chuckled. "Yes, of course. Yes, I'm getting plenty of rest, don't worry. _Sí_, I was at work last night. Mhmm. And closing up the place. Yes. No, it wasn't hard work. Not at all. But there was a bit of a nasty surprise. Robin came in."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. Regina was telling her father. That was good. That was excellent! She knew that Regina had a tendency to sometimes 'censor' things from her father because she didn't want to worry him, so Emma was extremely relieved that she had chosen to tell him this. That was the right decision for sure. She could hear that Regina's father had raised his voice a bit. Clearly not a fan of Robin. "He was... pretty surprised to say the least," Regina said tightly. "Actually, he was pretty horrible. Said some pretty bad things to me, but-"

"_¡Lo voy a matar!_"

Emma jumped a little when Henry suddenly yelled into the phone.

"Daddy!" Regina scolded with a slight chuckle. "Think about your blood pressure, please." She turned her head and told Emma: "my father wants to kill Robin, apparently."

"Good man," Emma growled. "Tell him I'm right behind him!"

Regina didn't have to do that, though. Emma heard laughter in the other end. Henry had clearly heard what she said.

"No, no, no, I'm fine," Regina assured, grinning sheepishly. "I might have... smacked him. Across the face. Not my greatest hour." She laughed again. "Daddy, this is point where you tell me that violence isn't the answer. You're not supposed to tell me well done and compliment my right hook!"

Emma spluttered. The more she heard, the more she adored Regina's father.

"But, uhmm..." Regina continued and bit her lip, clearly debating whether to continue or not. "I'm not sure I should tell you this or not, because I don't want your blood pressure to skyrocket, but I'm pretty sure Emma will have stuff to say if I don't tell you, so... " she swallowed something. "He- Robin- well, he, uhmm... actually became a bit... intimidating, shall we say. Towards me. Right before he left." She made a face when Henry raised his voice again. "Well, he sort of came a bit close. No-no, he didn't touch me. Not at all. Emma went in between us and threatened to call the police." Regina bit her lip again. Clearly this experience had rattled her more than she had let on last night.

Emma clenched her fists. If she ever saw Robin again, she wouldn't just settle for smacking him across the face. She would grab him by the collar and shake him until his bones rattled!

"_Sí_, I have a few late night shifts this week," Regina said. "And some next week too, yes. But I've signed up to take the earlier shifts the week after that-" she went quiet and listened as her father spoke. Then she smiled. "_¿Seriamente?_ But aren't you busy? It's a long dri- okay! Okay, there's no reason to shout, daddy!" she laughed. "Thank you. I'd like that very much. But only if it doesn't collide with your own pla- alright! I get it!" more laughter. But then she grew serious once more. "No. No, I have not heard from Mother. Not at all. And I actually think it would be better if you accept that I'm not going to either, daddy."

Emma's mouth twisted at the mention of Regina's mother.

"No!" Regina said sharply. "She absolutely cannot know about this, daddy! Promise me you won't tell her! What's going on with me is officially none of her business any longer, so I would appreciate if you didn't... Thank you." She visibly relaxed at whatever her father had just said, and then she smiled softly once more. "Yes, I'll give my love to Emma. Of course."

"Tell him I said hi!" Emma interjected.

"Emma says hi," Regina chuckled. "Okay. Yes. Yeah, let's talk tomorrow. Love you too, daddy. Bye!" she ended the call and put the phone down.

"How's your dad doing?" Emma asked.

"He's doing fine. Well, he was until I told him about Robin."

"Yeah, I heard him shouting," Emma said half-jokingly. "I love the fact that he complimented your right hook."

"_Sí_, he wasn't too pleased. Nor was he pleased about my late night shifts," Regina said as she took another bite of her waffle.

"I'm not too pleased about that either, beautiful girl."

"In fact he was so unpleased he offered to come and pick me up every night," Regina continued.

"He did? That's awesome!" Emma said. Seriously, she loved Regina's father!

"Not only that, but he also said that he would be parked outside the bar one hour before my shift ends. To make sure that... Well, that no one comes to see me while I close up alone."

"God, I love that guy!" Emma said earnestly and then frowned: "so, you DO actually feel threatened by Robin, don't you?"

"Not directly," Regina denied. "I didn't like how close he could have gotten last night. But I suppose it was kind of my fault, right? I mean, I did provoke him by slapping-"

"No," Emma said plainly. "You reacted because he was an asshole who said shit to you, and had he been a big boy, he would have ignored it and pissed off instead of coming closer."

"I don't think that he actually would have done anything, though."

"That doesn't matter. He would still have gotten too close."

Regina nodded a bit, thoughtfully. "You know what I think? I think Robin has done it before. Cheated, I mean. Why else would he get tested regularly?" she scoffed.

"I think that's very likely," Emma nodded. She too doubted that it was the first time Robin had cheated. Marian's strong reaction certainly suggested that it wasn't the first time her husband had been unfaithful to her.

"_Imbécil_," Regina said flatly.

"True that," Emma half-chuckled.

"Well, now I have my dad as my bodyguard." Regina continued and rolled her eyes. "I've involved him and made him concerned even though I swore to myself that I wouldn't."

"You made the right choice, honey," Emma said firmly. "Robin WAS being threatening towards you last night, and your dad has to know that."

"I suppose you're right. He asked me to move in again, bless him."

"And I sort of wish that you would," Emma muttered.

"I know you do, _querida_," Regina said softly. "But you also know that I want to handle this on my own as much as I can. I want to be as little dependent on my dad as I can. And besides, Robin doesn't know where I live. Nor Marian."

"I know," Emma nodded. "But... if you ever start to feel unsafe here or just the slightest bit creeped out, will you please move into your dad's place then?"

"I promise," Regina said and reached out to pat Emma's hand. "Don't you worry about a thing, _mi amor_."

Emma snorted. "Yeah right. When it comes to you, I always worry. No matter what."

Regina chuckled warmly. "I wish you wouldn't, but it wouldn't do any good to ask you not to, would it?"

"Nope. It would just make me laugh."

Regina smiled at that and then said thoughtfully: "my dad asked about the baby."

"He did?"

"Mmm. He proudly announced that I'm sixteen weeks along now. I think he's keeping tabs on it."

"Well, now he's not the only one," Emma said lightly and patted the cellphone laying next to her on the table...

The rest of that day went by far too quickly. From breakfast to lunch, to dinner and bam, suddenly they were on their way to the airport. Again. Emma's suitcase was packed and had been stuffed into the trunk of Regina's car. Instead of sundresses or light skirts, Emma was now wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She had her passport in hand, and she was fucking miserable.

"I hate this," she grumbled.

"Me too," Regina sighed. "But I hope I'll be able to come to Storybrooke soon."

"How soon?" it bursted out of Emma before she could stop herself. She grimaced. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to be pushy about it." she knew that money were tight for Regina, and plane tickets weren't exactly cheap.

"Before I reach week twenty. I hope," Regina replied and adjusted her sunglasses slightly. "And you don't have to apologize. I'm eager to see you too."

"Week twenty," Emma repeated and tried not to sigh. That was in four weeks. Which seemed like crazy long time, but maybe... "You could be there for my birthday!" she said excitedly.

"That is sort of what I'm aiming for," Regina smiled. "And I'll try my best."

"It could be awesome if you were there for my birthday," Emma said warmly. "But it won't be the end of the world if you're not, remember that. I don't want you to overwork yourself."

Regina snickered amusedly.

"I MEAN it!" Emma said a tad exasperated. "No stressing yourself!"

"I hear you, _señorita Swan_," Regina said with faux obedience. "Loud and clear." The she laughed heartedly.

"You think you're so funny..." Emma grumbled.

"Maybe I need my attitude adjusted," Regina said sweetly.

"I'll be sure to do that the next time," Emma said, now she was laughing too.

Regina snorted. "Are you looking forward to going home?"

"No. I'd rather stay here!"

"Be serious, _querida_. You have to miss your parents and friends, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose I do. Of course," Emma nodded. But she actually hadn't thought much about her friends or parents while in Spain. And now she felt guilty about it. Of course she'd been in touch with Ruby and Belle and her parents. She had texted both Ruby and Belle and her mom last night to give them the latest update. With Regina's blessing, Emma had told them about Robin's 'surprise-visit' to the bar, and the absurdities he'd said to Regina. Belle and Ruby had cussed him out. And Emma's mother had been shocked. And once again she had drilled it into Emma to tell Regina that she was welcome to come to Storybrooke whenever she wanted. Emma found that to be adorable, the way her mom had completely fallen for Regina.

"Do you think you're going to talk to your parents about California when you get home?" Regina asked softly, bringing Emma out of her train of thoughts.

Emma sighed. "I supposed I ought to, don't I?"

"_Sí_, I think that would be wise."

"They won't be happy about it," Emma said. "It'll be such a huge change for all of us. The years where I studied in Boston were super tough. I was really homesick and basically home every weekend. I know that the distance between Maine and Cali isn't that far by plane, but still... I'd be far away from home. From my parents and my friends and everything I know."

"I understand that," Regina said gently. "You're used to having everyone close by."

"Yeah, exactly." Emma straightened her posture a bit in the car seat. "But I also really wanna do this, you know? Start over in a different place. I've been wanting too for a while on and off. I thought that after Neal and I had gotten married we would move away, but then I realized that he wanted to stay and help his parents with their store, so I kinda put it aside and tried to get used to the idea of living in Storybrooke. White picket fence and close to my parents. And it wasn't that I was unhappy about that, not at all. I actually found it to be kinda romantic and idyllic, but now... Well, I've realized that I sacrificed a dream for him."

"You need to tell your parents that, _querida_," Regina said softly. "They'll understand why you want to leave. Your parents are wonderful. And you've got so much potential. I've seen your photos. They're wonderful."

Emma reached over and gave Regina's bare knee a little squeeze. "And besides, if I lived in California, I would at least be a little bit closer to you."

"_Dios mio_, please tell me that's not why you want to leave!" Regina laughed.

"Not the whole reason, _mi belleza_," Emma assured. "But it's a part of it. Imagine if I bought or rented a little place in Laguna Beach. You did say you liked to swim. Try and picture it. Living on the beach. Waking up to the ocean. Just you and me..."

"That does sound wonderful," Regina said yearningly.

"It could be real," Emma said. It COULD. If that gallerist from New York decided to exhibit her pictures, she would earn a decent sum of money. And one thing often lead to another. Maybe someone could end up buying her pictures. Then she'd end up with another sum of money, and then... Emma smiled. She had plenty of hope for the future.

"_Querida_?"

"Mm? Yes, baby?"

Regina chuckled. "That was a new one."

"Oh." Emma frowned a bit. "Yeah, I suppose it was. What did you want to say?"

"I was just wondering, what's gonna happen when I get too big to fly?" Regina asked. "I looked it up, and it's recommended not to fly after week 37, so I can't come to see you. Well, unless I deliver before week 37, but I'm not so sure that would be too good either..."

"I'll come to you," Emma said softly, squeezing Regina's knee again. "Don't you worry about that. I was thinking of coming to Spain when you reach week 35 and then just kinda... hang out until the birth."

"Really?" Regina asked. "You're going to do that?"

"Yup. There will be no blueberries delivered without me."

"Berries?!" Regina grimaced. "I'm only giving birth to one kid, Em-ma!"

"It was a figure of speech!" Emma said hastily. "I know there's only one baby in there."

"You better remember it!" Regina snipped, but then chuckled. "_Dios_, just talking about the birth makes me feel nervous. It is going to hurt so badly!"

Emma settled for giving Regina's knee a soft pat. Because she wasn't about to fill Regina with 'I'm sure it won't be so bad'-nonsense. Labors hurt. Giving birth hurt. Period. There was no way around it. That's just how it was.

"I better start doing some of those pelvic floor exercises," Regina continued. "I've heard it's good to start strengthening things as soon as possible."

"That's probably a good idea," Emma nodded. "But no Lamaze classes without me!"

"Oh, that's not until I'm six or seven months along," Regina said cheerily. "Plenty of time. But are you sure you wanna do that?"

"Hell yeah," Emma grinned. "I'm sure it's gonna be fun."

"Fun?" Regina echoed and snickered dryly. "It's a class teaching me how not to loose my marbles when I'm labor. I doubt there'll be much humor in that. But with you there... Maybe it won't be so bad. Nor the birth."

"That's the spirit," Emma said warmly. "You're going to ace it. All of it. The Lamaze classes, the labors and the delivery."

"We'll see about that," Regina said gravely. "Hopefully I'll learn how to be calm and collected. That's all I'm asking."

Emma squeezed her knee again. "You're going to do wonderful, sweetheart."

Regina smiled a little...

Soon, too soon they reached the airport. Emma had checked in via her phone from home, so she didn't have to go through the trouble of checking in in the airport. Instead she could just walk right up to the security line and onwards to her gate when the time came. "I really fucking hate this," she murmured when she and Regina found themselves sitting on a bench.

"There's still an hour until you have to board," Regina pointed out.

"So there is," Emma acknowledged and unabashedly leaned in and kissed Regina.

"Mmph," Regina said a tad surprised, but definitely not unhappy. She was clearly trying to hold back her amusement as she gently returned the kiss. One of her hands came up to rest against Emma's cheek.

Emma breathed in the scent of apples. She despised this. Well, no, she didn't. She didn't despise kissing Regina. Kissing Regina was always nice no matter what, but the goodbye-kisses. Those were absolutely the worst. As was the knowledge that it would be four weeks or maybe even longer before she got to see Regina again. It was almost unbearable, but Emma tried to remind herself that it could have been worse. They could have been living in a time where the only type of communication was letter form. Or- even worse- Emma could have been married to Neal and on her honeymoon with him when she saw Regina in that bar. God, that would literally have been the worst!

"_Mira, se están besando!_"

Emma and Regina broke apart at the tiny voice clearly addressing them, and when Emma turned her head, she saw a young boy standing close to the bench where they were sitting. He was maybe four, maybe five years old. Black-haired but with big, green eyes. And he was grinning from ear to ear. "_Estabas besándote!_" he cheerfully announced.

"_Sí, eso es correcto. Nos estabamos besando_," Regina told him and chuckled slightly.

"_Pero ella no es un chico?_" the little boy asked confused and pointed to Emma.

"_Bueno, a veces las chicas besan a otras chicas_," Regina said, and once again Emma recognized the soft, patience voice she'd heard Regina use in the park when that little girl had gotten lost.

"_Ohhh_," the little boy said, wide eyed and with mouth slightly open as though Regina had just blown his mind completely. The next minute he was snatched away from them by his stressed father who said something to him in Spanish. Most likely something about him running away in the airport.

"What was that about?" Emma asked curiously. "More lost children you had to help?"

"Not exactly," Regina chuckled. "He pointed out that we were kissing, and when I confirmed his suspicion, he was confused."

"Oh?" Emma tilted her head and snickered slightly. "Why was he confused?"

"Because you're not a "boy". He didn't quite understand how I could kiss you if you weren't a "boy"."

"Oh. Ohhh! And what did you tell him then?"

Regina shrugged. "That girls sometimes kiss other girls."

"Right," Emma grinned. "That explains the mind blown look on his face."

"Nothing like a bit of education in the airport," Regina joked. As she spoke, she opened her purse and thrusted a hand inside it. Frowned slightly and muttered something in Spanish followed by: "I seriously did not forget it at home, did I?"

"What are you looking for?"

Regina didn't answer. Instead she exclaimed a triumphant: "aha!" as she whipped out what appeared to be a regular bun. But Emma knew that this particular bun was puffy and packed with this fluffy chocolate filling. Regina had munched on several of those particular buns last night- after having murdered half a bag of chips.

"Feeling peckerish?" Emma warmly teased.

"_Todo el tiempo_," Regina replied and frowned a little. "But I'm gonna eat carrots tomorrow. Lots of them."

Emma chuckled a bit at that. "What are you gonna do when you get home?"

"I dunno." Regina's speech was a bit slurred because of the way she was stuffing her face. She paused and carefully chewed and swallowed before continuing: "Watch Netflix, probably."

"I'm jealous," Emma said. "And this week you had a thing with Alessandra and Sofía, right?"

"_Sí_, they've invited me for dinner at their place," Regina nodded. "That was nice of them."

Yes, Emma supposed it was. But then again, Regina was giving them something so precious, so maybe dinner was to be expected. As soon as the thought was formed in her mind, Emma mentally balked and checked herself. She wasn't so sure she was supposed to think like that. No. Definitely not. It was nice of Alessandra and Sofía to invite Regina over for dinner. Period.

"This is so good," Regina mumbled between bites of the fluffy, chocolate-filled bun. "If I end up whale-sized, I'll only have myself to blame!"

Emma laughed. "You deserve it."

"I haven't done anything to deserve it," Regina scoffed.

"Uhh, the last time I checked, your body was busy creating something pretty mind-boggling, so yeah, you deserve it. For sure," Emma chuckled and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend.

"I deserve it," Regina said happily, looking ever so in love as she gazed at the chocolate bun...

The one hour was up. As much as Emma didn't want it to be, that was the reality of what was happening right now. The one hour was up, and it was time for her to go to the gate.

"Oh, fuck this!" Emma growled when her plane was being announced over the speaker.

"Yeah," Regina said a tad meekly. "I've promised myself that I'm not going to cry this time, though."

"And how am I supposed to not cry?" Emma asked, only half-jokingly as she stood from the bench. "Come here!"

Regina willingly stepped closer, but not quite close enough. Emma was almost yanking her into her arms, and Regina made a very slight 'oomph!' sound.

"Oh god!" Emma said, immediately loosing her grasp around Regina. "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking-"

"Shut up," Regina laughed. "And don't stop hugging me!"

Emma didn't stop. But she did made sure not to squeeze Regina like she had a moment ago. She breathed in the scent of Regina's apple-y shampoo and felt her throat constrict painfully when she thought about how long it would be before she could hug Regina again. And feeling Regina's arms around her, hugging her softly didn't help one bit. Emma tried not to, but a very quiet sniffle still slipped out of her.

"That is not fair!" Regina said strangled. "You can't do that to a pregnant woman, Emma! If you start, I'll blubber as well."

"No blubbering then," Emma said entirely unconvincingly and turned her head so she could unabashedly bury her nose in Regina's hair and prolong the moment for just a little. She was very well aware that she looked like a crazy person, clinging onto Regina like that, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"You'll miss your flight, _preciosa_," Regina said as she rubbed Emma's back.

"But I don't wanna," Emma said pathetically.

"I know you don't."

"I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I know that too. I'm gonna miss you too."

"I might have left a little souvenir under your pillow," Emma whispered into Regina's hair, and she felt how Regina's body shook with laughter.

"Dios, please don't tell me you've left your panties or something like that?" Regina half-giggled.

"You'll find out," Emma teased. She hadn't left her panties under Regina's pillow. That would have been beyond tacky. She had left one of her t-shirt. The oversized blue one with a ridiculous Sesame Street logo on the chest. Regina had practically been living in that t-shirt every night, so of course Emma had to leave it behind. Of course that t-shirt now belonged to Regina. Keeping it when Regina was so fond of it would be cruel.

"I don't want to leave!" Emma murmured against Regina's hair. "Why can't I just stay here and work in the bar with you?"

"Because you can't," Regina half-chuckled. "We both know that. But we'll see each other again before you know it."

"I think the roles have switched," Emma grinned. "Usually I'm the one encouraging you, not the other way around."

"Maybe excess maturity is something that comes with pregnancy," Regina joked.

"Yeah, maybe," Emma said. She was about to say something more, but then a voice blared through the speakers. Her plane was being announced again.

"You better get going," Regina said and disentangled herself from Emma.

"Ooookayyyy," Emma sighed. But she wasn't going anywhere just yet. She leaned in and bussed Regina on the lips and then let her hands drop to Regina's growing belly. "You promise me to take care of yourself and Blueberry okay?" she shamelessly caressed the growing belly in front of her, quietly panicking over how much it would have grown the next time. How much she would have missed out on.

"_Promesa_," Regina vowed and moved her hands down too. For a moment they were resting on top of Emma's on the growing belly.

"And let me know if you meet any assholes," Emma continued. "No matter who that asshole might be."

"_Promesa_," Regina repeated, now chuckling again. "Say hi to your parents and Ruby and Belle. And try not to smack your ex again."

"Can't promise that," Emma laughed. Then she wrapped her arms around Regina and hugged her again. "I love you."

"I love you too," Regina mumbled, and now her voice sounded just a tad wobbly.

"No crying," Emma reminded her and planted a super sneaky kiss on the side of Regina's neck. "Go home and watch some Netflix for me. And eat more chips."

"You know what, that's actually very likely to happen," Regina said, disentangling herself from Emma once more. "Now go! You're the last one to board."

Emma turned her head. Regina was right. She was in fact the last one. "Oh, shit!" she gave Regina another quick kiss on the lips. "I love you. Don't strain yourself. Keep me updated on everything. Skype tomorrow."

"I love you too. I won't and I will. And _sí_, skype tomorrow. Now GO!"

And so Emma finally stumbled through the door. But not until after she had bussed Regina on the lips three times more. It didn't escape her notice that despite the promise she'd made to herself, Regina's lips felt salty. She wasn't doing a very good job at not-crying. And honestly, neither was Emma. But she didn't feel it until she was sitting in the plane. That's when she realized that her mascara had become messed up and made her resemblance a panda. A very sad panda, that was.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations=

Una maldita casa!= A damn house!

Tengo hambre= I'm hungry.

Hola papi= Hello, daddy.

¡Lo voy a matar!= I'm going to murder him!

¿Seriamente?= Seriously?

Imbécil= Fool.

Mira, se están besando!= Look, they are kissing!

Sí, eso es correcto. Nos estabamos besando= Yes, that's correct. We were kissing.

Pero ella no es un chico?= But she's not a boy?

Bueno, a veces las chicas besan a otras chicas= Well, sometimes girls kiss other girls.

Todo el tiempo= All the time.


	34. Chapter 34

If there was one word that could be used to describe how Emma was feeling when she tumbled out of the plane into Boston airport, it was grumpy. And dazed. She had been in the air for ten hours. It had been seven o'clock at night in Spain when she had said goodbye to Regina, and now it was five in the evening, Boston time. Emma felt completely squashed. And grumpy. Extremely grumpy. Boston airport looked so ugly compared to the airport in Madrid. Well, _everything_ looked ugly compared to Madrid. She already missed Regina so much her heart ached. She missed seeing her smile, hearing her laugh. She missed wrapping her arms around her and feeling her growing belly. She missed the way Regina always flipped her hair back over her shoulder.

"This is shitty!" Emma grumbled to herself as she stretched her neck after her suitcase. "This is shitty, and I hate it!"

An elderly man shot her a funny look, and Emma remembered that she was in America now. Everyone understood what she said now. Oops. She flashed the man a sheepish smile. He hesitantly returned it, and Emma thought to herself that she had just scared the poor fella. Right then. That was one way to come home, she supposed.

Her mood only soured as she stood and waited for her suitcase to show up. She was tired and jetlagged and missed her girlfriend. It didn't help that she and Regina had been texting while Emma had been in the air. Emma huffed. There had been a time where she thought that being left by her fiancé on the day before their wedding was the worst thing that could ever happen. But now she knew she had been wrong. There was one thing that was worse. And that was leaving her pregnant girlfriend in Spain. That was a hundred billion times more worse than having Neal leaving her. Him walking out on her was actually the best thing that could ever happen to her. Emma just hadn't known at the time. But today she was extremely grateful. The marriage would never have lasted. It would have ended in a bitter divorce. And maybe there would even have been children involved. That would have been awful.

Emma stretched her neck in an attempt to spot her suitcase, but she couldn't see it anywhere. God, she hoped that she didn't have to wait for too long. She didn't want to be stuck in the airport. She just wanted to go home and hug her parents. And sleep. And then call Regina. Seriously, that was what she was looking forward to. For the millionth time, Emma considered whether she should just say 'screw it' and immigrate to Spain. Right now, that seemed like the best thing for everyone. She chuckled bitterly to herself. Leaving her pregnant girlfriend in Madrid was really an advanced type of torture. And there was a special place in hell for those who claimed that long distance relationships were easy. They were not! The skin on Emma's cheeks stung because she had been crying, and her eyes felt puffy and swollen behind the sunglasses she had slipped on. Was Regina crying too? God, Emma hoped that wasn't the case. She hoped that Regina was asleep in her bed. Resting like she was supposed to.

Emma's mood only seemed to sour further as she stood and waited for her suitcase to show up. There were too many people in the airport. She was tired and had a headache and she just wanted to go home. Well, actually, she wanted to go back to Spain. But that wasn't an option right now. She would have to settle for Storybrooke. Which was nice too. Of course it was. Seeing her parents and her friends. That was gonna be great too. Albeit a bit numb because she happened to have left her heart in Madrid. Dramatic? Yes, perhaps. But nevertheless true. That was how she felt. Like she had left the most important part of herself in Spain with Regina. While she was here physically, she sure as hell wasn't mentally. She was curled up in bed with Regina. Nose buried in Regina's soft tresses and hands cradling Regina's growing belly. Emma sighed and, in an attempt, to make herself snap out of her misery, she reminded herself that Regina wasn't completely alone. She had her father. Henry was in her corner now. He supported her. And he was gonna collect Regina from work on her late nights. Emma was so grateful for that. She had been extremely worried about Regina's late night shifts. And it turned out that so had Regina. Afraid that Robin would seek her out while she was closing up for the night. It felt really good to know that Henry would be there every night. Just as a precaution. Just in case. Emma didn't want Regina to feel threatened. A part of her still worried that Robin would pop up at some point. That guy was a giant compared to Regina. And seriously, what would he have done if Emma hadn't been there? Hit her? Shoved her? He looked like he could have shoved her. Emma clenched her fist. You don't shove a woman. And especially not a pregnant woman! If Emma ever were to see him again, she would pound the shit out of him. Reason or not. The fact that he had tricked Regina into having unprotected sex was reason enough to beat the shit out of him, right?

Emma chuckled darkly to herself. Yes. She would love to pound the shit out of Robin fucking Locksley. That shithead. Emma's dark thoughts were interrupted when she felt her cellphone vibrate in her pocket. For a glorious moment she thought that it was Regina and felt happy about it, but then she remembered that Regina should be fast asleep in her bed, and if it really was her texting, Emma would feel concerned and not happy.

But it wasn't Regina, though. It was Emma's mom. '_has the plane landed yet?_' she asked. Emma chuckled a bit. Someone was clearly impatient. She texted back that her plane had landed and that she was waiting for her suitcase. Texting her mom made Emma realize that she had missed her quite a lot. It was gonna be nice to see her parents again. And talk to them. She felt a twinge of anxiety. Regina had been right, she had to talk to her parents about moving to California. It was something she really wanted. It was something she had thought about for a while. Of course she had to talk to her parents. She couldn't just avoid talking about it because it was a tough conversation. She knew that her mom would struggle with it. She would of course say all the right things. That she understood Emma. That of course Emma should leave if that was what she wanted to, but she would quietly struggle with it. Emma knew her mom. Her dad would be a bit more straight forward. He would openly admit to finding it tough. To sum up, it would be a tough one to swallow for both of her parents. And Emma understood that. Apart from college in Boston, she had lived all her life in Storybrooke. She knew the little town like the back of her hand. When she was a kid, she had dreamed of living in a house next to her parents'. Had dreamed of coming over for Sunday dinners and leaving her kid with its grandparents for the day. Storybrooke was all Emma knew. All she had seen. Going to college in Boston had been the adventure of a lifetime until she decided to go to Madrid on her own. That had been a leap of fate. And so was this. Moving to California on her own. Completely uprooting her life to settle down in a completely new place. Of course that was daunting. Scary, even. But the urge to spread her wings was so much stronger. But she would have to wait and see. Firstly, she needed something to move into. And that was expensive in California. Especially when one wanted to live on the beach like Emma did. A beach house. With plenty of room for her parents and friends. And Regina. Emma could see that happening. Regina coming to visit her in the beach house. The two of them waking up together. Having breakfast. Going for a long walk on the beach and then maybe a swim. Regina loved the ocean. She had told Emma so herself. The sigh Emma let out was a bit too longingly for an airport. She could so see Regina and herself in a beach house in the future.

The blonde let out a huff. She was starting to feel real impatient. And there was this dull throbbing right above her left eyebrow. A sure sign that she was exhausted. She had slept a little on the plane, but it had been a bit difficult because there had been an extremely loud guy sitting a couple of seats away. He had been on the phone for something that felt like hours, and it had seemed that his main goal had been to be as loudly and annoying as possible. He had gone on and on until one of the flight attendants had had enough and asked him to please end his conversation and think of the other passengers. He hadn't been thrilled about it, but at least he had shut up. Emma had smiled gratefully at the flight attendant, and she had thought to herself that she hoped Regina would never be unfortunate enough to sit near someone like him. Emma had been real close to loosing her shit. Like, real close. The guy had been extremely obnoxious, and in her slightly dazed state, she had thought to herself that she had met a lot of those lately. Obnoxious guys. And now she was about to return home to a town where another obnoxious guy was living. Neal Cassidy-Gold.

Emma hoped that he was done being a problem. She hadn't seen him since that day on the diner where he had spewed venom at Regina. And Emma preferred if it stayed that way. As far as she was concerned, he could go fly a kite. The less she saw of him, the happier she would be. It would suit her very well if she never saw him again. And if she really did move to California, it would actually be that way. She literally would not see him again. What bliss that would be.

"Aha! Gotcha!" Emma exclaimed and felt like a predator on the hunt when she suddenly lunged at her suitcase and grabbed it right before it rolled past her. Finally. Now she could actually get out of here. She turned around and adjusted the handle on the suitcase slightly. Then she elbowed her way out of the airport with the suitcase rolling behind her.

The daylight was already dwindling when Emma stepped outside. She took her sunglasses off and squinted slightly. She tugged at her jacket. She would never get used to the difference in temperature. After fourteen days in Spain, Emma's body was completely used to warmth and sunshine. She grumbled a bit under her breath. She had only just gotten used to the warmth when she had to leave again. God damnit.

But at least her faithful little yellow bug was standing and waiting for her like it was supposed to. That made Emma smile. She had missed her little yellow bug, and she couldn't resist to run her hand over the paint. "I've missed you," she said a bit ridiculously. She could almost hear Regina laugh. She always claimed that Emma loved her car far too much. And she was probably right about that. Emma DID have a very close relationship with her car. She couldn't help it. She loved that damn thing. Even though the engine wasn't what it had been once, and the paint was coming off in flakes. It didn't matter. It was her baby. Her yellow bug.

Emma unlocked the car and wrestled the suitcase onto the backseat, scraping the side of the car in the process. "God damnit. Sorry about that, baby." okay, at this point Regina would have rolled her eyes and called Emma something rude in Spanish. Something she would have refused to tell Emma what meant. But Emma would have kissed it out of her sooner or later. She was very good at that. She was good at turning Regina into putty. God, this morning had been absolutely amazing. Or had it been yesterday morning? Emma wasn't completely sure right now. She was too jetlagged. But either way, the last moments she had spent in bed with Regina had been absolutely amazing. Regina had been amazing. So responsive and eager. Her sex drive was back in full force, and Emma thought to herself that she literally couldn't have chosen a worse time to leave Spain. She should have extended her stay with another week. Or two. Or three. Or maybe a few months or six.

Emma blinked. Realized that she had gotten into the car but wasn't driving. Okay, she needed to get a move on. It was time to go home to Storybrooke...

Four hours later, Emma arrived in Storybrooke. She felt nothing but sheer relief when she could pull up in front of her parents' house. She unbuckled her seatbelt and nearly stumbled when exiting the car. She opened the door to the passenger's seat and hauled out her suitcase. Then she wobbled through the gravel to get to the gate to her parents' house. She felt somewhat like a zombie. A walking dead. But she was not here to eat brains. She was here to collapse on her bed and sleep for at least seven hours.

She opened the gate and walked up the pathway to the door, but before she could get anywhere near the front door, it was opened from the inside, and her mom poked her head out. "Emma, honey!" she beamed. "I thought I heard a car pull up!"

"Yeah, that would be me," Emma said a bit croakily and winced. She sounded like she had been crying for two hours. That hadn't been the case. She was just tired, that's all. She was a big girl. She wasn't gonna cry just because Regina was in Spain.

"Oh, sweetie!" her mom said, immediately misunderstanding Emma's gruff voice. She came out of the house and engulfed Emma in a tight hug. "It's gonna be okay, honey."

"I'm just tired," Emma said just as croakily. And cringed again because she realized it sounded like she was making excuses.

"We've missed you," her mom said and dropped a kiss on her hair before wrapping an arm around her. "Come, let's get you inside. You must be hungry."

Emma smiled a little as she let herself be escorted into the house. She actually was pretty hungry. And tired. So very tired.

Her dad was waiting inside the house, and he smiled widely as it became his turn to hug his daughter. "Hey there, kiddo!"

"Hi, dad," Emma chuckled as she hugged him back. "Did you miss me?"

"No, not at all," her father quipped. "Your mother and I haven't even thought about you. Isn't that right, honey?"

"David!" Mary Margaret scolded and assured Emma: "that is not true at all, honey!"

"I know, mom. I might be tired, but I haven't lost my ability to take a joke," Emma assured and almost giggled like a little girl when her dad squeezed her a bit tighter. After a moment he let go of her, and Emma said: "Regina sends her love. Lots of it."

"Tell her we send some back when you talk to her," Mary Margaret smiled. "How is she doing? Is getting used to things a bit more?"

"Yeah, I mean, I think so," Emma said, slipping off her jacket as she spoke. "She definitely seems more comfortable with the pregnancy and things."

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear. I was worried about her," Mary Margaret said. "I'm happy to hear that she's doing okay."

"You adore her, don't you?" Emma teased.

"She loves you. Of course I adore her," Emma's mom said simply and shrugged. "Sit down. I'll fix you something."

"I can do that myse-"

"You've just come home from a long trip," her mom interrupted her firmly. "I'll make you some. You just relax."

"Okay then." Emma sat down at the table. "But no coffee, please. I'm gonna go crash after this, and I don't need any caffeine in my system."

"Noted."

David chuckled. "Your mother has missed fussing over you. Isn't that right, honey?"

Mary Margaret confirmed that, and Emma immediately felt a little guilty about the bombshell she soon would be springing on her parents. That she was planning on leaving Storybrooke. Who would Mary Margaret be fussing over then?

"Did she hear anything else from her mother?" Mary Margaret interrupted Emma's train of thoughts. "Regina, I mean."

"Nope," Emma growled, happy to have the option to be angry at Cora Mills once more. "Not a peep since she snuck out while Regina's father was busy comforting his crying daughter!"

"Unbelievable." Mary Margaret clicked her tongue, and the anger was visible in her face. The sight was almost a bit shocking, because it wasn't very often you got to see Mary Margaret Swan angry. "One can only wonder what's going on inside such a woman's head!"

"Probably not a whole lot," Emma sneered. "Seriously, the things she said to Regina sounded like something straight out a 1950 movie! She made it sound like Regina had stained the family name! I mean, come on!" she took a breath. "I knew that Cora was bad, Regina had already told me that. But I had seriously not imagined that she was that much of an old cow!"

"Emma, your language," Mary Margaret scolded.

"Nope, I'm not gonna apologize for that," Emma said firmly. "Because that was what she was, mom! If you had heard the stuff she said to Regina! It was completely outrageous! Regina was fucking crying! And afterwards, she looked like a dog who had just taken a beating!" she clenched her fist. "If I ever see Cora Mills again, I swear I'm gonna-"

"Now, now," Mary Margaret said gently as she placed a turkey sandwich in front of Emma.

"Thanks," Emma muttered and tried to calm down a little. She took a bite of the sandwich. It was very good. She couldn't deny that she had missed her mother's sandwiches. She had a special way of making sandwiches.

"She has her father, though, right?" David asked, joining the conversation.

"Yeah, fortunately enough," Emma said around a mouthful of sandwich. She carefully chewed and swallowed before continuing: "he basically told Cora to shove it. Showed her out of his house. I don't think I've ever witnessed anything that satisfying before." She chuckled grimly. "He even asked Regina to move in with him while she's pregnant, but Regina declined. Even after the showdown with Robin."

"She's a brave woman," Mary Margaret said fondly. "She knows what she wants and she's standing by it. That's very admirable."

"Yeah, it is," Emma agreed. "But I wish she would have said yes, though. What if Robin finds out where she lives and follows her home or something like that?!"

"I don't think that's going to happen, sweetie," her mom soothed. "Surely, this Robin isn't that foolish?"

"I hope to hell that he isn't!" Emma said firmly and sighed. "At least she said yes to having her father pick her up from work on her late nights. He'll even be parked outside while she closes up."

"What a wonderful father she has there," Mary Margaret smiled. "I would love to meet him sometimes. He sounds like a very sweet man."

"He is," Emma smiled too. Regina's father really was quite special. "He and Regina are so alike. It could be so fun if you guys could meet him sometimes."

"Well, perhaps we can," David chuckled. "That could be nice." He patted Emma's hand. "It's great to have you home again, kiddo."

"Thanks, dad."

"You met the adoption parents too," Mary Margaret said softly. "What was that like?"

Emma shrugged. "It was okay. A little strange, I guess. I mean, its not everyday you have brunch with your girlfriend and the parents of the baby your girlfriend is expecting..." the joke felt hollow and she trailed off. She hadn't told her parents much about her meeting with Sofía and Alessandra. She hadn't wanted to when Regina was around.

"You said they were nice people?" her mom interrupted her train of thoughts.

"They are, yeah," Emma quickly nodded. "They're great. Both of them. Very nice. And so grateful to Regina. She's actually having dinner with them. They're very excited both of them. They're going to paint the nursery yellow, and they have already chosen a name for the baby. Diego if it's a boy, and Savannah for a girl, but they think it's going to be a boy, so-"

"Emma. Breathe," Mary Margaret said gently.

"Sorry," Emma said sheepishly and took a deep breath. "Breathing."

Mary Margaret reached out and patted her hand. "You feel weird about this, don't you?"

"No. Yes. Well, I mean, meeting Alessandra and Sofía just made it a bit more real, I guess."

Her mom gave her one of her famous 'x-ray looks'. There was nothing Emma could do to prevent the green eyes from boring into her own green ones.

"Is that all?" Mary Margaret said softly.

"Yeah," Emma said automatically. "Of course it is. What else would it be?"

Once again, Mary Margaret looked thoroughly at her. "You don't think you could be growing attached?"

Emma frowned. "Attached to what, exactly?"

"The baby, sweetie," her mother said gently and reached out to pat her hand again.

Emma's eyes widened. "What? No? No! Not at all."

"Are you sure about that, honey?" her mother wasn't pushing her. She was simply asking a question in her usual, gentle manner.

"Yeah," Emma said, but she could hear the uncertainty in her own voice. "I mean..." she suddenly had the urge to swallow something. "I've been pretty close to her, and I've experienced all her symptoms first hand. I've been there right from the get go. Even before she even knew that she was pregnant. And seeing her belly grow..." she swallowed something again. "But I understand and respect her decision. Completely. It's her choice, and I'm gonna support her in it."

"Honey, I don't doubt that you're going to support Regina through this," Mary Margaret said gently, patting her hand once more. "But are you getting attached?"

Emma checked herself. Was she getting attached to Blueberry? No. Yes. Maybe. No. No! She wasn't. Although... she had been touching Regina's belly a lot. Stroking it. Rubbing it. Caressing it. Even kissing it. And Regina had allowed it. She had allowed all of it. The kisses. The caresses. Emma checked herself again. Had the lines blurred during her stay in Madrid? Had she forgotten that it was Sofía and Alessandra's baby at some point? Hadn't rubbing Regina's belly been the last thing Emma did before stumbling into the plane? Yes. Yes, it had. Emma licked her lips nervously. Had she played 'house' with Regina during the two weeks she had been there? Was she actually getting attached to Blueberry? Had there been occasions where the baby had felt a little too much like... theirs?

"No!" she firmly decided. "I am not getting attached to the baby. Maybe the lines have blurred a little during my visit, but I can totally 'unblur' then or whatever. I totally understand that Alessandra and Sofía are the baby's parents. Don't worry, mom."

"I always worry about you, sweetie," Mary Margaret chuckled. "No matter what."

Emma cracked a smile. "Yeah, well, you don't have to worry about this. Not at all. It's all good."

"Okay," Mary Margaret said simply and smiled at her daughter.

Said daughter finished her turkey sandwich and smiled at her parents. "You know what, I think I'll head upstairs. I'm sorry, but I'm just really beat after all that travelling."

"Sleep well," David said with a chuckle.

"Thanks, dad." Emma mock scowled and rolled her eyes. Then she smiled at both her mom and her dad. "It's nice to be home again."

"It's nice to have you home again, sweetie."

Emma bid her parents an early goodnight, and then she dragged her suitcase upstairs to what used to be her childhood bedroom, but now had received a slight update. Actually, it was mostly a guest room these days. Not very personal. Emma was looking forward to getting a new place. Wherever that might be. She couldn't spring her California-plan on her parents the moment she stepped through the door. That wasn't fair. She had to wait for the right moment.

Emma tugged off her clothes and replaced it with the pajama her mom so lovingly had laid out on the bed for her. Then she plugged her phone into the charger. And finally, she collapsed on the bed with a groan. She was literally so tired. She wanted to sleep, but now the thoughts were racing around in her head. She couldn't stop thinking. Had she been getting a little too attached to Regina's growing baby bump and the little life growing there? Had she been overly touchy-touchy with Regina's belly? If she had, she hadn't noticed. And neither had Regina. Otherwise she would have said something, for sure. Emma groaned a little into her pillow. She was not baby crazy, was she? She didn't think about having kids all the time, did she?

No. She did not. True, she might have rambled a bit about Sofía and Alessandra and the baby, but that didn't mean she was crazy about babies. Although...

A year ago, Emma had had a dream for the future. A very specific one too. At the time where she still thought that Neal was the answer to her every prayer (Emma felt sorry for her past self!) she had hoped that once she and Neal had gotten married, and once they had done the travelling they wanted to do, they were going to settle down and have kids. That's what she had hoped. That they would have that white-picket fence life with kids. Two of them. That had been the dream for the future. Emma stretched a little on the bed. Did she still want kids? Well, yes. She did. But that had absolutely nothing to do with what was going on with Regina. Nothing. Hell, Regina wanted to have kids too. Someday. When she was better equipped for it. And there was no reason why she shouldn't have them. She was so young. Only twenty years old. She had plenty of time to have kids.

Emma rolled onto her back and dragged the pillow over her face. No, she wasn't baby-crazy. She had just been a little too enthusiastic when talking about Blueberry. But that didn't mean that she was getting attached to him/her. She was attached to Regina. And right now, Blueberry was a part of Regina. It was probably easy to confuse her attachment to Regina with attachment to Blueberry. _Yeah_, Emma decided. That was probably it. She was attached to Regina. Every part of her. And right now, Blueberry was a pretty big and significant physical part of Regina.

Satisfied with the conclusion she had reached, Emma yawned and pulled the covers up to her chin. She hadn't brushed her teeth. Or removed her makeup. Or even brushed the tangles out of her hair. She hadn't done anything because she was too tired. She would probably drift off in a moment. She hoped so. Right now she was full of sad thoughts. Most of them about how much she missed falling asleep next to Regina. The smell of apples in her hair. The way she snuggled up in her arms and mumbled something in sleepy Spanish before drifting off. Sometimes she even talked in her sleep. Emma always found that to be mighty entertaining, even though she couldn't understand a word of what Regina was saying. There had actually been a night where she had woken Emma up because she was talking so loudly in her sleep. When the first fright had dialed down, Emma had ended up laughing because Regina had sounded so positively indignant while talking in her sleep. But unfortunately, Regina hadn't been able to remember anything when she woke up the following morning. She had even tried to deny that she'd talked the previous night, and Emma had ended up 'threatening' her with recording it the next time it happened.

Emma sighed a bit. She really did miss her girlfriend. She could almost envision Regina lying in her bed all curled up. At least that was what Emma was hoping Regina was doing. Sleeping. Not laying awake and thinking about Robin or her mother or whatever. Once again, Emma felt sorry for Regina. She really did have a lot on her plate all the time. A lot of things to juggle. First her meddling mother and now the potential threat of Robin popping up again. Emma clenched her fist a little. She didn't care what her mother said, she would beat the shit out of him if she saw him again. She wouldn't just settle for letting Regina give him a slap. She wanted to throw in some good punches herself. Emma chuckled a bit. She was getting very sleepy. That was probably why she had just pictured herself pounding the shit out of Robin. With a wet fish. Ridiculous. But still a beautiful scenario. Emma rubbed a hand over her forehead and pulled the covers up so only the top of her head was visible. Her bedroom was cold compared to Regina's. Regina always slept with a window open. Emma couldn't count the times she and Regina had laughed when they heard some drunk person yell or even sing in the street. There was a lot of that in Puerta Del Sol where Regina lived. And Regina often joked that she used to be one of those drunken people. Emma would have liked to see that.

Finally, Emma fell asleep with her head full of thoughts about Regina...

It was early when Emma woke up the following morning. She could simply sense that, and she silently cursed the jetlag or whatever as she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. After having pushed her hair away from her face, she grabbed her phone. She tapped the screen and it lit up. Yep, definitely early. Seven AM to be more specific. God damnit. Emma briefly considered curling up and trying to get some more sleep, but she quickly scoffed and deduced that it was a lost cause. She was far too awake. But she still didn't want to leave her bed. Shower and breakfast and seeing her friends would have to wait a little longer. There was one thing she needed to do first. One very important thing. Emma grinned to herself when she dialed Regina's number and moved the phone up to her ear. Wedging the phone between her ear and shoulder, Emma tried to tidy her hair. Until she remembered that she wasn't gonna skype with Regina. She didn't need to do her hair. How utterly silly of her. As she waited for Regina to pick up, she imagined what the brunette was doing right now. Not much, Emma hoped. Hopefully, Regina was relaxing like she was supposed to. Not straining herself too much. If Emma had it her way, Regina would have been relaxing in some enormous bathtub with plenty of bubbles and a bowl of strawberries next to her, but somehow Emma doubted that that was how reality was working.

"_Hola_."

Emma's sleepiness instantly lifted when hearing the prettiest voice in the whole wide world. "Hi!" she grinned.

"Hi yourself, _querida_," Regina said hoarsely. _VERY_ hoarsely, actually. That was not just the voice of someone who had been napping.

"Woah, are you okay?" Emma asked, immediately concerned. "You sound all croaky!"

"I'm fine," Regina said and cleared her throat in the other end. "Sorry about that."

"Are you getting a cold?" Emma asked and frowned even though Regina couldn't see it. "Do you have a sore throat or something?"

"No," Regina said and sounded a bit grumpy now. Vexed.

Okay. Emma quickly nixed the first option. In her mind, there was only one more reason left for Regina's hoarse voice. And Emma didn't like that reason one bit. "Hang one, are you crying?!" Emma exclaimed. She had heard that hoarse voice one too many times over the past two weeks.

"No," Regina snipped. "I am not."

Definitely not true. "You're lying!" Emma said with more accusation in her voice than intended. "What's going on?!"

"Emma-"

"No! You have to tell me right now!" Emma half-shrieked. "Are you in pain? Did someone do or say something? Is it your mom? Robin? Did he come back? Do _I_ have to come back and kick some ass because I will totally-"

"Em-ma!" Regina interrupted. "No one did something to me, okay?"

"Then why are you crying?!" Emma demanded. "What's happened?!"

Regina sighed heavily. "Do I have to tell you?"

"Uhm, yes, you absolutely do!" Emma said firmly. "I wanna know! I HAVE to know! I know you think you'll be making a scene, but I don't give a damn about that, so you better just tell me what the hell is going-"

"I'm crying because I watched a stupid commercial with a kitten, okay!" Regina snippily interrupted.

That threw Emma off completely. "I...What?"

"Don't ask me!" Regina shrieked. "I don't know why! I was just watching television and minding my own business. This cat commercial featuring a kitten comes on screen, and bam, all the sudden I'm weeping because it was cute!"

"Oh," Emma said, heart rate returning to normal. "I see. Hormones." She really tried to be valiant about it, but she couldn't quite quell the small chuckle slipping past her lips.

"_¡No es gracioso_!" Regina moaned. "I'm embarrassed, Emma!"

"Honey," Emma said gently and immediately scolded her features into something more serious. "It's not something you have to be embarrassed about. You can't help what your hormones are doing right now."

"I don't cry over cats!" Regina complained. "I don't even like cats!"

Emma laughed. She couldn't help it.

"Emma, it's not funny!" Regina bellowed. But now she was laughing too. "_Dios mio, _I'm glad you weren't there to witness THAT. You would have thought I was crazy."

"No," Emma huffed. "I would have thought what I'm thinking right now."

"And what are you thinking right now, _querida_? That I'm completely off the rocker, perhaps?"

"No," Emma half-chuckled. "I think that you're pregnant and experiencing some changes in your hormones right now."

"I don't know how many more changes I can handle," Regina complained. "What will I cry about next time? Spilled food?"

"Well..." Emma really did try not to laugh. "I suppose that is possible, yeah."

"Oh god." Regina said. "I'll have to come up with some way to contain my emotions! I mean, what if I watch television with my dad and cries because some damn animal with big eyes comes on screen?! He'd be mortified. _I'D_ be mortified!"

"No, he won't," Emma soothed.

"He will too," Regina grumbled. "Damn cat! It wasn't even that cute!"

Then they both laughed heartedly.

"You really had me worried there for a moment," Emma chuckled. "So, just to clarify... You're not in pain?"

"No," Regina snickered. "I'm fine. Just fine. A bit weird without you, but you know..."

"You wanna Skype later?" Emma suggested. She too was feeling weird without Regina.

"I'd love to." There was some shuffling in the other end, and then Regina exclaimed: "Emma, it's seven o'clock in the morning in Maine! You shouldn't be up now!"

"Jetlag," Emma said as an explanation.

"I don't care," Regina said almost sternly. "You should be asleep after the long trip yesterday!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Shut up!"

"Never," Emma assured and smiled dopily. "Have you found a different channel? One that doesn't show kitten commercials?"

"Don't talk about it, please," Regina said. "And no, I have not, but the cat commercial is gone now."

"Oh, good. What are you watching anyway?" Emma asked curiously.

"Some cooking show," Regina replied. "Well, I might have fallen asleep for five seconds, but..."

"Awww," Emma cooed. "You were sleeping?"

"Guilty as charged," Regina joked. "I thought the fatigue was supposed to go away in the second trimester."

"It is, but you've really been through the wringer for the past two weeks," Emma reminded her. "Of course you're tired. Oh, my parents sends their love, by the way."

"Send some back to them," Regina chuckled. "And tell your dad that I'm still dreaming about the pancakes he made for me."

"I'll tell him that. That'll make him very proud."

Regina chuckled again. "I miss you. What are you gonna do today?"

"Probably find my friends and tell them that I'm back in town," Emma told her. "But apart from that, I don't have any plans. What about you?"

"My plan is to watch cooking shows until I get hungry," Regina quipped.

"Aw man, that sounds like the perfect plan," Emma said longingly. "I wish I could participate in it."

"Hey, I'll be back to bother you before you know it," Regina said softly.

"Oh yeah, you'll totally bother me," Emma said flatly. But the corners of her mouth twitched. The dopey smile was growing. As it always did when she talked to Regina...

**Spanish Translations=**

**Spanish Translations=**

**¡No es gracioso!= It's not funny!**


	35. Chapter 35

When feeling a bit more awake, Emma dragged her lazy self out of bed and into the bathroom where she grabbed a quick shower and then got dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been forced to wear a sweatshirt and jeans. She already missed wearing sundresses and light tanktops. Why did the weather always suck so much in Maine?

Emma grumbled under her breath as she made her way downstairs. The house was quiet and deserted. Her parents had already gone off to work, but Emma didn't have work until tomorrow. And she was going to take advantage of that. By popping down to Granny's and saying hi to her friends. The conversation with Regina had given her somewhat of a boost of energy. A little one at least. Talking over the phone wasn't quite the same as talking in person, but it was the next best thing and Emma was grateful for at least having that opportunity. Had this been the 1950's, there would have been little opportunity to talk to Regina. No Skype, no texts, no Facetime. Only letters. Which would have taken months and months to arrive. So yes, Emma was grateful. At least that was what she told herself. She told herself that she was happy texting and skyping existed, but deep down she was greedy and wanted more. She wanted to go back to Spain as fast as possible.

Emma held back a sigh as she tied her boots and left the house, pulling the jacket a little closer around herself. Storybrooke looked exactly like itself. Sometimes it felt like time itself had stopped in this quaint little town. As Emma walked down the street, she found herself thinking more and more about what it would be like to walk down a different street. Or what it would be like to wake up to sunshine and crystal blue water. To the sound of waves and seagulls squawking. Emma shook her head slightly. She was picturing a different life in a different place. It was like the urge to 'spread her wings and fly' had only intensified after she returned home. As much as she adored the quaint little town she grew up in, she had to admit that there wasn't much for her here anymore. Well, there was her parents and friends, of course, but California wasn't the end of the world. There were planes. They could come and visit her, and Emma could come and visit them. As often as it was even possible for her. It could work. And apart from coming to visit, there was also skype and cellphones. Emma could be in constant contact with her parents and friends. Of course uprooting herself and moving from a small town in Maine and all the way to California would be a big deal, but Emma was in her late-late twenties, and being a small town photographer wasn't enough. And neither was living in the same small town where she grew up. She had to do more with her life. And she was sure her parents and friends would understand that.

When Emma stepped inside Granny's Diner on this relatively early morn', she wished that she hadn't. Because what she saw immediately made her want to go out and buy the biggest box of bleach and then rinse her poor, poor eyes with it. Ruby was in the diner like she always was, yes indeed, but she wasn't alone. Nope, not even in the slightest. She was with Belle. In the most literal fashion too, unfortunately. Meaning that Belle was sitting on the counter. Her legs were wrapped snugly around Ruby's waist as they made out heatedly. Her fingers were tangled into Ruby's brown/red locks and Ruby had a hand up Belle's skirt. And that was the main reason why Emma wanted to die a little bit. There was no way to turn this thing into something positive. She had just walked in on her friends.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Emma barked. The shock clearly made her react like she was an eighty year old woman. Who knows, maybe she'd conjure an umbrella and start to beat her friends with it in a second.

Belle let out a startled yelp, and Ruby cussed as they broke the kiss. Belle had clearly just bitten her lip by accident. They both turned their heads and looked in Emma's direction, and Emma wasn't quite sure whether she was the one who wanted to die the most, or they were. "Well," she said, torn between amusement and horrification. "That's three seconds of my life I'll never get back. But I'm sure I'll have forgotten all about when I'm seventy. Maybe. Hopefully. I'm not completely sure how to pick up the pieces of my life from here, to be honest."

Ruby let out a sheepish little laugh. "Sorry, Em. And welcome home!"

"Yes, welcome home!" Belle chirped in as she swiftly hopped off the desk and smoothened the crease on her dress.

"Please tell me you're going to disinfect that desk," Emma muttered.

"Shut up," Ruby laughed.

"Don't be so rude. I'm traumatized, you guys!" Emma exclaimed. "Like, seriously! My life will never be the same again! Not after seeing you two-"

"Emma!" Belle said, blush rising in her otherwise pale cheeks. "Don't say another word, please! I'm mortified!"

"You're mortified?! I'M mortified!" Emma laughed. "I deserve a free meal after this!"

"You do," Ruby agreed. "Really, you do. Sit down and I'll whip out something for you. Make yourself comfortable."

"And tell us everything about Regina!" Belle added. "We wanna hear everything! All the details about her mother and that idiot Robin!"

Emma groaned. "Believe me, I could write a novel about that guy's stupidity! Just thinking about him pisses me off, to be honest!"

Belle reached out and squeezed Emma's hand. "We've missed you, Em."

"Yeah? It looked like you guys were doing just fine on your-"

"Emma." Ruby warned. "Shut up."

"Nope," Emma laughed. "I'll never let you live this one down. Not ever."

Belle let out a sheepish little giggle, cheeks pinking again. She glanced at Ruby, and Ruby smirked right back at her. Emma felt so utterly tempted to call her friends out on their flirting, and especially when she caught Ruby winking at Belle, but she didn't do it. She didn't have the heart to tease. Ruby and Belle looked so happy. Emma was happy too. It was amazing that her friends had 'found' each other like this, and as expected, they were the perfect couple.

"So, have you heard from Regina today?" Belle asked and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

"I have," Emma nodded.

"And, how was she? Okay?"

"Well, actually she was crying," Emma said, only partially feeling that she was ratting on Regina. "About a kitten commercial."

"Oh, bless her," Belle said sympathetically. "Hormones kicking in, huh?"

"Mhmm, definitely," Emma said, trailing off a bit when remembering exactly what Regina's hormones had caused. That delightful dream that had woken her up. Oh man, that had been wonderful.

"And still nothing from her mom?" Ruby asked from the kitchen.

"Nope," Emma said. "Regina thinks that ship sailed long ago. She keeps saying that she doesn't need Cora and maybe she's right, because she has her dad and he's absolutely terrific, but still... I mean, it's her mom. Her dad's great and all, but she doesn't have anyone she can talk to about... pregnancy stuff."

"She can talk to you," Belle gently pointed out.

"Yeah, of course she can," Emma agreed. "But I meant talking to someone who's actually _been_ pregnant. One who knows what this or this symptom mean. She can't exactly ask her dad about that. Even though he's awesome."

"You have a point," Belle nodded.

"Yeah, and I'm literally so pissed at Cora for robbing Regina of that opportunity," Emma sighed. "I mean, who's she supposed to go to now when she has a pregnancy question Google can't answer?"

"What about your mom?" Ruby suggested as she came back from the kitchen with a tray full of breakfast for Emma.

"Maybe, yeah," Emma nodded. That was an idea. Mary Margaret adored Regina. Regina adored Mary Margaret. They were already getting along so nicely, so maybe it wasn't that far-fetched to think that Mary Margaret could become Regina's 'pregnancy-person'.

"And what about the Robin situation?" Belle asked softly. "You didn't tell us much about it. Just that he was 'a massive asshole'."

Emma cracked a smile. "And that's very true. He was. He IS!" she had been too shocked to give her friends a full resume of everything that had went down with Robin. She had been given Regina's blessing to do so, but at the time, Emma hadn't fully been able to wrap her head around the full extend of Robin's...asshole-ness.

"Turns out he's an even worse asshole than first assumed," Emma said dryly.

"How so?" Belle asked confused.

"Is that even possible?" Ruby said dryly. "A guy who lies about his marital status to sleep with a girl doesn't rank very high in my book."

"Yeah, well, I'm afraid he did far worse than that." Emma speared a piece of bacon and stuffed it inside her mouth. Once she had chewed and swallowed, she took a sip of the scorching hot chocolate Ruby had served for her.

"For fuck's sake, Em, what did he _do_?" Ruby demanded.

Emma swallowed the mouthful of chocolate and let out a long, deep sigh. "He tricked Regina," she said finally. "He said he was wearing a condom when he actually wasn't."

"You're _KIDDING _me?!" Ruby growled. "He did not!"

"Oh, he did," Emma said, rubbing her face harshly with the back of her hand.

"Are you telling me that he _deliberately _got Regina pregnant?!" Belle hissed. "Because that's extremely fucked up!"

"Tell me about it," Emma sighed. "I doubt he was trying to get Regina pregnant, though. Prince Charming assumed that she was on birth control."

"Did he actually ASK her?" Ruby sneered.

"Nope. He sure as fuck didn't."

"My god!" Belle said. "Emma, that is..."

"Fucked up," Emma finished the sentence. "Yeah, I know. Regina went totally pale when she found out. I was so afraid she was gonna faint or something. I think it was the idea that he had given her something else apart from the-" Emma gestured to her stomach to indicate pregnancy. "But apparently, lover boy gets tested regularly."

"That so?" Ruby said sarcastically. "He's done it before."

"Yeah, Regina and I reached that conclusion too," Emma said and clenched her jaw. "That guy definitely takes the price for being a douchebag. I thought Neal was bad, but now I actually think Robin is worse. Or at least sharing the first place with him. He even went as far as implying that Regina should have... you know... Taken care of things." Emma didn't fully finish the sentence. But she didn't have to. Belle and Ruby understood what she was getting at.

"God, what an asshole!" Belle said, accent thickening with her anger. "Please tell me you punched him."

"No, I'm afraid I didn't. Regina yelled at him. But he didn't stop here. He went on to suggest that the baby should live with him and Marian..."

Ruby laughed without an ounce of amusement.

Emma couldn't blame her. "Oh yeah, he was clearly under the impression that he was a 'good father'."

"A good father who forgets about his family because he'd rather flirt with another woman?" Belle said flatly. "And besides, what about Marian and her stalking tendencies? Not exactly an ideal environment for a baby, is it?"

"That's exactly what Regina said too," Emma nodded. "And Robin, that dickhead, didn't like that one bit. He lashed out by saying that he probably wasn't even the father. That's when Regina slapped him in the face."

"Atta girl," Ruby praised. "Good for her!"

"Yeah," Emma agreed. "But that's also when things got pretty uncomfortable. Robin started to come towards Regina. He was acting threatening, and I went in between them."

"He didn't do something to her, did he?" Belle asked alarmed. "He couldn't have. Otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here."

"He didn't," Emma said quickly. "I informed him that he was threatening a pregnant woman, and then I threatened HIM about calling the police if he didn't leave. So he did. But I think he really freaked Regina out. She was even holding on to a bottle, ready to whack him over the head!"

"Jesus," Ruby said and shook her head. "That's really intense, Em!"

"Yeah, I know," Emma sighed. "Regina's dad is driving her to and from work at night now, but I'm still so afraid Robin is gonna show up again! He was acting really threatening!"

"He's not stupid enough to do that," Ruby said firmly.

"I agree," Belle added. "Maybe the guy is dumb, but not that dumb. He wouldn't take that risk."

"I hope you're right," Emma sighed and took another sip of her hot chocolate. "I really hope you're right."

"Trust me," Ruby said, reaching out and patting Emma's free hand. "Nothing's gonna happen to Regina. Her dad will look out for her."

Emma smiled a little. "Yeah, of course he will. You're right." Henry would never let anything happen to Regina. He would punch Robin right across his stupid face if he needed to, Emma wasn't doubting that for a moment. He was fiercely protective over his daughter. Cora could have learned something from him, Emma thought to herself. Her strategy had been to dip out and leave Regina to fend for herself. Damn her. Damn Cora!

"But it wasn't all drama while you were in Spain, was it?" Belle asked. "You and Regina had a nice time too, right?"

"We sure did, yeah," Emma said and smiled a bit dopily. There had been some great moments too. It hadn't all been drama and tears. Emma fondly thought back to their mornings in bed. Their co-showers and breakfasts.

"Still the eight wonder of the world then," Ruby joked. "When are you gonna see her again?"

"She's flying in for my birthday. In four weeks. She'll be twenty weeks along by then. And I'll have missed out on so much!" Emma dramatically let her head collide with the desk with a loud thud. Ouch. That sort of hurt actually.

"It's not forever, Em," Belle soothed and patted a blonde head jokingly as though Emma was a dog.

"Feels like it," Emma groaned against the table. "I just... I wanna be with her all the time, god damnit!"

Both Belle and Ruby chuckled at that.

"I _mean_ it!" Emma huffed.

"Maybe that'll be possible at some point," Ruby said.

"I don't want it to be at some point," Emma whined. "I want it to be right _now_." she was well aware that she sounded spoiled, but right now she didn't care very much. She just missed Regina so fucking much. She was sure that both Belle and Ruby were offering comfort, but the sound was drowned by Emma's cellphone chiming once in her pocket. Someone had sent her a text message. Emma lifted her head from the table, fished the phone out of her pocket and checked the message:

'_Did you know that babies actually cry in the womb?! You just can't hear it because of all the fluid surrounding them. I'm pretty sure that's the creepiest thing I've read all day!_'

Emma couldn't help but chuckle as she texted back: '**Uhh, no, I definitely did not know that. But now that I do, I'm not really sure where to go from here, to be honest...**'

'_You and me both then! Now I'll never be able to unthink that Blueberry is sobbing his/hers eyes out inside me, and I just can't hear it!_'

As weird as that sounded, Emma chose to laugh about it. She had a feeling that that was what Regina wanted her to do.

"Is that the girlfriend?" Ruby asked with a grin.

Emma briefly looked up from the phone. "Mhmm."

"What's she doing?" Belle asked.

"Spewing weird pregnancy facts," Emma said truthfully. "Did you guys know that babies cry inside the womb and you just can't hear it because of the fluid surrounding them?"

"Uhh..." Ruby made a face. "Nope, I didn't know that. But thanks though. Now I'll never be able to unsee that mental image."

Belle chuckled. "Exactly WHAT is Regina doing? Is she on the Dark Web or something?"

"Good question," Emma half-grinned. "I'll ask her." she turned her attention back to her phone again. '**Belle and Ruby wants to know if you're on the Dark Web. And honestly, with the weird fact you just told me, I wanna know too!**'

The reply came almost immediately. '_No, señorita Swan, I am not on the Dark Web. I'm reading a pregnancy magazine._'

'**Oh. Now that is an explanation that makes sense. Are you stocking up on pregnancy magazines or something?**'

'_No, my dad stopped by with it. And a bag of chips._'

Emma grinned. '**Aww, that was nice of him! :D**'

'_Yeah, but I must admit that I'm not completely sure whether he's trying to help me in the pregnancy department, or in the dating department._'

Naturally, Emma frowned. '**Meaning what?**'

It didn't take long before her cellphone made another little bling-bling sound. Regina had sent her a picture. Emma quickly opened it to see what it was. It was a picture of a pregnancy magazine, no doubt. A very glamorous, very pregnant smiling woman on the cover. The magazine promised the reader ten different ways to be more comfortable while sleeping, but what immediately claimed Emma's attention was what was written in a very large font just below the picture of the glamorous woman: 'HOW TO STAY SEXY AND SEDUCTIVE DURING PREGNANCY'. Underneath the picture of the magazine, Regina had written: '_thanks, dad._'.

Emma bursted out laughing. Of course she did. This was fucking hilarious. She laughed so hard she could barely write, and her reply to Regina more than reflected that: '**I'm ssure he means well! But OMG I'm dying!**'

'_Either he's really progressive, or he didn't actually read the cover. I'm choosing to believe the second possibility._'

'**And I'm pretty sure that's the right possibility too!** **It was sweet of him to buy you a magazine.**'

"_It was._'

'**And just for the record, you don't need any advises on how to stay sexy and seductive **'

'_Thank you for saying that. Looking at all these glamorous women have made me feel pretty self-conscious_.'

'**Stop reading the magazine. Right now. You look great! The belly suits you and your cheeks are glowing. Period.**'

'_I miss you._'

The spontaneous statement immediately made Emma's 'spider-senses' tingle. '**I miss you too. Are you okay?**'

'_Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just feel kind of lonely. Which is silly because I'm actually going out tonight._'

'**You're going out? Where are you going?'**

'_Paco Roncero Restaurante. Daddy invited me. Claims it's a father-daughter thing, but really I think he's worried about me._'

'**God, I love that man! That sounds really nice **'

'_He doesn't have to fuss over me. I'm absolutely fine._'

'**That doesn't mean he can't fuss about you **** I'd do the same if I was there!**'

'_Well, then you're both awful!_'

'**And you absolutely love us!**'

'_That's true. I do._'

Emma smiled and couldn't resist to inquire: '**Any news from Blueberry?**'

'_Since you asked earlier? No, querida. No news._'

'**Okay then. But you promise to call me as soon as it happens, right? Even if its in the middle of the night!**'

'_You have my word. And I can see that Alessandra is calling me. I gotta go. Text later?_'

'**Obviously. Tell her I said hi**!'

There was no response, and Emma figured that Regina had answered the phone. She put her own phone down and turned her attention back to her breakfast once more. Maybe it wasn't churros and melting chocolate, but it was still really, really good! "Everything okay in Spain?" Belle asked.

"Mhmm," Emma said. "But I actually think she was feeling kinda down in the dumps."

"Poor thing," Ruby said sympathetically. "It's a shame you couldn't just steal her back to Storybrooke with you."

"I might do that the next time," Emma joked. Maybe she actually would. She suddenly imagined herself waving a magic wand and turning Regina into a pocket size version. She imagined how she would pick up tiny Regina, store her safely into her pocket and then board the plane. And turn her back into her normal size when they reached Boston. Emma smiled a little. She would have to tell Regina about that silly little fantasy. She would undoubtedly find it to be cute. And what Emma also happened to find cute was her friends. Belle and Ruby were kissing because they thought Emma was still busy with her phone. That was adorable. Like, really, really adorable!

But then the little scenario was crushed when the door to Granny opened and Mr. Gold stepped in. Emma's hands automatically curled into fists. Maybe Mr. Gold wasn't as bad as Neal, but yeah, he was bad enough. And Emma was quite fed up when it came to men behaving like assholes. Gold easily fell into that category. She was almost hoping he would say something to her or look at her, because truthfully, she was just looking for an excuse to yell at him.

But Gold didn't say anything to her. In fact he neither looked left or right as he stepped up to the counter and said: " a latté. To go."

"Coming right up," Ruby said a tad irritated over having been interrupted when kissing her girlfriend, and turned around to walk over to the advanced coffee machine.

Mr. Gold drummed lightly on the desk. He looked straight ahead. Then at Belle. He wasn't exactly leering or gawking at her, just discreetly glancing at her. His forehead was wrinkled, and Emma didn't like it one bit. She could still remember what Belle had told her. That Mr. Gold had been coming into the library to look at her instead of actually loaning any books. _Well, guess what, pal, you're not gonna ogle my friend. Not today. Or any day for that matter!_ Emma cleared her throat loudly and that snapped Mr. Gold out of whatever funk he was in. He looked away from Belle. Stared at the desk instead. Good.

Emma's cellphone beeped again. Another text. Emma quickly checked it. '_The longest pregnancy on record was reportedly 375 days long. Wish me luck!_'

Emma let out a snort. '**Throw that damned magazine out! Or find cute facts instead!**'

It didn't take long before a new text arrived. '_Your heart grows when you're pregnant_.'

Emma grinned. Now that was actually adorable! '**Awww! Got any more? :D**'

Regina had. It was quite possible that she was bored. '_The only scientifically proven method for inducing labor is nipple stimulation, known as 'the comfort method'._

Emma's grin turned into a smirk. '**Nipple stimulation, huh? Well, if you go over time, I'll be more than happy to help you with that ****'**

'_Why did I just know that you would give that kind of response?_'

'**Because you already know me that well, babe. What did Alessandra want?**'

'_Oh, nothing in particular. Just ask how I was doing, I guess. That was nice of her._'

'**It really was!**'

"One latté to go!" Ruby said with more bite than she normally would, and her movements too were a bit more aggressive as she more or less slammed the coffee down in front of Mr. Gold She clearly hadn't forgotten about the library business either. Emma would hate to be an enemy of Ruby's. Especially considering that Ruby had joked about 'accidentally' pumping Neal's coffee full of chili powder. As tempting as that had sounded, Emma had laughingly told her not to. Maybe she despised Neal, but she wasn't interested in seeing him end up in the hospital with scorch marks on his throat or something like that.

Mr. Gold took the coffee and left the diner without saying thank you. Emma glanced at the door. She found herself to be unnerved by this. She didn't like the way he had been glancing at Belle. Emma vowed to herself to keep an eye on her ex-father-in-law. Just to make sure he kept his eyes and more importantly, his hands to himself. She refused to let any member of the Gold family bother any of her loved ones. The blonde glanced at Ruby. She was kissing Belle again. Neither of them had noticed that Gold had been giving Belle some stares. And maybe that was a good thing. But still, Emma would definitely tell Ruby about it if she caught Gold doing it again. He was not gonna get away with this, damnit! He was not getting away with acting like a creep even though he hadn't actually 'done anything'. To hell with that. He just had to keep his seedy little eyes to himself!

Emma checked her phone to see if Regina had send anymore messages, but she hadn't. Maybe she had gotten lost in the magazine. Or a television series. Emma could almost see it for her inner eye. Regina all comfortable in her old couch with her bag of chips and a good series on the television. Emma hoped that was exactly what Regina was doing right now.

"Do you have any plans for your birthday, Em?" Ruby asked a bit randomly.

"Seeing my girlfriend," Emma said immediately.

"Duh." Ruby rolled her eyes. "I meant apart from that. We're going out, right?"

"I guess..." Emma said, trailing off. She would actually prefer something a bit more quiet, but she damn well knew that wasn't gonna fly with her friends.

"You guess?" Ruby scoffed. "It's your birthday, Em! Twenty nine! That's a big deal! It's not every day you turn twenty nin-"

"Please stop saying twenty nine," Emma grumbled. "I feel so goddamn old!"

"You've never had a problem with your age before," Belle said and raised an eyebrow.

"That was before I started dating a twenty year old," Emma muttered and felt ridiculous. But Regina was so... young. Barely 'in her twenties' really. Only a few months into her first year of twenty if that even made sense. And Emma was getting dangerously close to thirty. Fucking hell, she would be thirty years old next year! And Regina would be... twenty one. Fuck.

"I thought you didn't mind the age difference between you?" Ruby said, interrupting Emma's train of thoughts.

"I don't," Emma said quickly, and she really didn't. "But sometimes I feel so ancient compared to her!"

"That's ridiculous," Ruby said flatly. "You're not old, Emma. Not even a little bit."

Emma puffed out air. "I know that technically, the age difference thing isn't that much, but sometimes I worry that because I am older than her, I want things that are considered to be 'too soon'."

"And what things are that?" Belle asked softly.

"I dunno, live together?" Emma replied. "I'd really like that."

"And you don't think Regina wants that?" Ruby scoffed now. "Honey, she's completely gone for you!"

"I know she is." Emma rolled her eyes. "But I just don't want her to... waste her youth or whatever."

"Dumbest thing I've ever heard," Ruby said bluntly. "Regina is the most mature twenty year old I've ever met. Not to mention completely head over heels for you. AND she loved Storybrooke when she was here. I think the odds are pretty good, Swan."

"Maybe we wouldn't be living in Storybrooke," Emma blurted out and immediately cringed hard. Shit. That was so not how she had planned on announcing her ponderings about potentially moving away from Storybrooke. Oops. That was clumsy of her. She should have announced it to her parents before announcing it to her friends. That was how you did this thing. Not the other way around, damnit!

"What?!" Belle and Ruby asked in unison, and Emma cringed once more.

"Urgh, that was so not how I was planning on telling you guys," she complained.

"Tell us what?" Ruby asked, eyebrows raised, and head tilted to the side like a curious canine.

"Don't freak out," Emma warned.

"Is there something to freak out about?" Belle asked. She too looked rather curious.

"Well, err..." Emma rubbed the back of her neck. Shit, this was hard. "Lately I've sort of been... considering to maybe, uhmm... move away from Storybrooke."

"What?!"

"Are you serious?!"

"I said 'maybe'!" Emma defended. She had to tone it down and make herself sound less sure than she actually was.

"But why?" Ruby asked. "Did something happen? At work? Do I need to track one of your customers down and kick some a-"

"Rubes, no!" Emma interrupted and laughed a little. "It's nothing like that, okay? I like my job. I really do." That wasn't a lie. She loved being a photographer.

"Then what's the problem, Emma?" Belle asked, voice soft and patient. She complimented Ruby's more head-on approach so wonderfully.

"It's not really a 'problem'," Emma wheedled. "At least not a problem-problem. But lately I've sort of been feeling like...Well, like I could... Do more. I'm about to turn twenty nine and I still live in the same town I grew up in. In my parents house. I don't even have my own place. I know that I could just find an apartment here in Storybrooke, and I know that my job as an event photographer is a good and steady job, but I think I want... more. I want to photograph something that isn't weddings. New sceneries. Maybe open a studio somewhere. My own place. And I want to see something that isn't Storybrooke. Maybe it's all the travelling that has made me feel that way, or maybe I've had that feeling for a long time and just suppressed it, I don't know. But... That's how I feel. Like I could do so much more." Emma concluded her ramble by taking a deep breath.

Belle and Ruby looked at one another. Looked at Emma. Then Belle smiled. "I actually think I get what you're saying," the brunette said softly and reached out to touch Emma's hand. "You may not know this, but every time Neal spoke about how you and he would be looking for a house in Storybrooke when you returned from your honeymoon, you looked sort of panicked."

"I... I did?" Emma was honestly surprised. "Really?"

"That's actually true," Ruby backed up her girlfriend. "You talked a lot about the wedding. And the honeymoon. But you didn't talk that much about the big afterwards where you and Neal would settle into your new white-picket-fence-life in Storybrooke."

Now that she heard it, Emma knew that her friends were right. She HAD been talking more about the honeymoon than she had been talking about starting her actual life in Storybrooke with Neal. And she had silently been panicking about it. She knew she had. There had been nights where she had lied awake and thought about suggesting to Neal that they moved away from Storybrooke at some point. But deep down she had known that he never would. He was supposed to take over his father's store. And he would never let that opportunity to go waste. He belonged in Storybrooke, Emma had known that, so she had pushed it away and decided to look forward to the honeymoon instead.

"Are you going to move to Spain?" Ruby asked simply.

Emma spluttered. "Uhh, no, not that far away, Rubes. I was thinking more about California. Maybe. Laguna Beach. Rent one of those beach houses. Get up early every morning to catch some snapshots of the sunrise. An early morning swim."

Belle chuckled. "You know, that sounds like a bit more than just 'maybe', Emma. That sounds like you've made the decision already."

"But I haven't!" Emma protested. "For now it's just... an idea."

"Uh-huh," Ruby said skeptically, but still smilingly. "And does your sweetheart know about this...'idea'?"

"Regina knows, yeah. It sort of... came up."

"Mhmm. And this beach house you maybe-possibly-probably-but-not-certainly is gonna rent... is that gonna be big enough for two?" Ruby teasingly continued. She was surely enjoying this.

"Obviously, the beach house would be big enough for two," Emma admitted. "Or three. Otherwise I couldn't invite you guys to come over, could I?"

Ignoring that, Ruby said: "you know what I think, Swan?"

"No, Ruby. I do not know what you think," Emma grumbled. She was pretty sure her friend was about to say something really annoying.

"I think you want to live in a house on the beach with Regina," Ruby said and thereby summed up Emma's innermost thoughts in one, simple sentence.

Yep, definitely annoying.

"And that's exactly what I was talking about before," Emma said darkly. "Wanting serious things too quickly. We've only known each other for-"

"Four months minus two weeks," Ruby finished the sentence. "And while that might not be a ridiculously long time, it felt like you guys had known each other way longer. Isn't that right, Belle?"

"It is," Belle confirmed. "You and Regina have a special connection, Emma."

"I know we do," Emma said. How could she not? "but as I said, it's just an idea."

"Right..." Ruby rolled her eyes and snorted. "Just an '_idea_'."

"Have you talked to your parents about it?" Belle asked softly.

"No..."

"Are you going to?"

"I think I might have to," Emma said quietly.

"It'll be hella tough to see you go, but I understand you," Ruby said. "I really do. I'm just glad you're not moving to Madrid!"

Emma let out a snort of laughter. "Now THAT would definitely be too soon! Jesus Christ, Ruby!" growing serious again she said: "I'll tell my parents. But not right now. I literally just got here. I can't spring all of this on them on my first day home, that would be mean. I'm not interested in devastating them completely."

"They'll understand why you want to leave, Em," Ruby said comfortingly. "David and MM are smart people."

"But might have a wee bit of tunnel vision when it comes to their only child leaving the nest," Emma joked. Then she finally crushed the last piece of bacon between her teeth.

Her phone chimed and Emma checked the message. And laughed her head off while reading it aloud to her friends: '_though not scientifically proved, there are many cases of partners experiencing symptoms of pregnancy. Some get morning sickness, some bloat, and some even feel cramps in their lower abdomen._'

"Watch out, Em," Ruby joked. "You'll end up getting sympathy-symptoms!"

"You know what," Emma said, smiling widely as she texted Regina back. "I think I can handle that!"

**To Be Continued...**


	36. Chapter 36

Emma knew she had to tell her parents about her moving plans sooner or later, but she told herself that she couldn't spring this on her poor parents so soon after coming home from a longer trip to Spain. So she decided to wait. Seriously, if she told them right away, they would be devastated. She had to be gentle and delicate about this. And she needed time to figure out exactly _what_ she was going to say to them.

So she waited. Two days. Which quickly became three days. Then four. Then a week. That morning, Emma woke up to an alert on her phone, telling her that Regina was now seventeen weeks pregnant. Seventeen weeks. It seemed like such a long time and at the same time, no time at all. According to the update, 'Blueberry' had morphed into a pomegranate. That made Emma grin a bit to herself. A pomegranate. That was a bit funny. Blueberry was now about 5.1 inches long and weighed about 5.9 ounces. Last week Blueberry had measured 4.6 inches and had weighed 3.5 ounces, Emma remembered that, and she was impressed. Wow. That was some growth spurt Blueberry had taken. Maybe she should ask Regina to stand up during their next Skype session. Just so Emma could see if Blueberry's growth spurt was noticeable. Emma continued her reading. Regina was four months pregnant, but it was a bit confusing because 'a pregnancy is technically longer than nine months' and bla-bla-bla, that's why doctors tracked the pregnancy in weeks and not months. Emma decided that she would do the same. Regina was seventeen weeks pregnant. Period. She proceeded to read about symptoms. A few of them would probably have made Regina feel embarrassed, but Emma couldn't see anything embarrassing about it. Regina was supposed to have weird dreams this week. Gain more weight. Experience itchy boobs and belly. Oh. Well that sounded annoying. Emma made a sound when she acknowledged that she couldn't be there to rub cream onto Regina's skin if that was what she needed. And then there was the stretch marks. Apparently, those were supposed to show up this week. Emma knew that Regina had been particularly worried about stretch marks, but it didn't matter to Emma. She would always find Regina sexy no matter what. And she was certain that she'd rock her new tiger stripes if and when they showed up on her skin.

So what was up with baby this week? Emma readjusted herself in bed to lie a little better as she kept on reading. Blueberry's rubbery cartilage was turning into bone. And growing some meat on those bones. Meaning that Blueberry was growing some fat. Growing stronger. The umbilical cord was thickening as well. Blueberry's heart was beating with 140 to 150 beats per minute. Twice as fast as Regina's. Blueberry was practicing his/hers sucking and swallowing skills. Fingerprints were developing.

Emma smiled. And particularly when reading something very cute. Blueberry was about the size of a palm. Aww. That was adorable! And then of course there were those blasted 'quickening's'. Meaning that Regina might be able to feel Blueberry move soon. Damnit! Supposed it started this week and Emma wasn't there for it? She knew that she wouldn't be able to feel it for a little while yet, but still, she wanted to be there to gasp and shriek if Regina announced that she could feel something.

"Fuck long distance," Emma said earnestly as she rolled onto her back. Regina would probably agree with her. But she was doing fine. She had been laughing a lot when they skyped last night. Thank god. Regina really seemed to have gotten her mood back after the whole thing with Robin's surprise appearance. Emma was relieved. She preferred 'her girl' to be happy. Regina didn't need anymore bad news right now. Not in her condition. Seventeen weeks pregnant. God, Emma couldn't wait to Skype with Regina later. She missed seeing her pretty face. She had been swamped with work yesterday, first a wedding (the bride had looked stunning, and the groom teary-eyed, perfect), and for the rest of the night, Emma had pretty much been stuck in the darkroom. There was plenty of work to get started on after her little detour to Spain. But even though Emma obviously was glad about having something to do, there had been this feeling in her chest. This nagging sensation telling her that what she was doing wasn't fulfilling. That she could be doing things that were more exciting than being a wedding photographer. There had been so many weddings lately, and it seemed like that particular event was turning into 'her' gig. It was good money. It was. And the atmosphere at a wedding was always awesome. Happy people. A bride and groom who often asked her to stay for a slice of cake. Yes, being the wedding photographer was nice. But that was it. It was nice. And nothing more. Her excitement about her job wasn't blowing through the roof when she came home like it once had. And that wasn't right. Emma wanted more. Last night she had dreamed about California again. She had dreamed about that little beach house in Laguna Beach yet again. Had dreamed about getting out of bed early to get some shots of the sunrise. And after that, the dream had turned a bit unrealistic, to say the last. Because in the dream, Emma had looked at the waves, and out of the crystal blue water, a siren with long dark hair and dark eyes had emerged. A siren with a round and prominent belly. And a craving for strawberries. Emma had laughed loudly when she woke up, thoroughly amused by how reality had been bleeding through. Maybe Regina wasn't a siren with the ability to walk out of the water, but she _did_ have a craving for strawberries. She had been munching on one during their last skype session. From cream soda to bacon to strawberries. What would she crave next? Emma kinda hoped it would be pickles. Simply because it would be so wonderfully cliché and sweet. But maybe Regina was working her way through the berry section first. Which was fine. As long as she didn't start craving blueberries. That would be super weird. They had actually been joking about that last night when they had texted...

That morning, Emma woke up to a scratchy throat and nose and ears that felt rather stuffy. And she immediately knew what it was. The autumn sniffles. The September Cold. God damnit. She didn't have time to be sick. Well, technically she had because today was Sunday and she didn't have any plans, but still, this sucked! Emma coughed miserably and sat up in bed. She could feel a headache settle right behind her eyes. Crap. But hey, at least she knew how to handle this. She needed tea. Chamomile tea. And lots of it. She cursed softly under her breath as she forced her aching body out of bed. No doubt she was running a fever. Not a serious one. But one that left her sore and aching all over.

Emma stumbled downstairs where she found her mom in the middle of buttoning her coat and straightening her scarf. She turned around when Emma came half stumbling into the kitchen.

"Good morning," Emma croaked.

"Oh," her mom said. "That looks like the September sniffles."

Emma tried to laugh. It came out as a croak. "Yeah, I think it is."

Of course her mom couldn't help herself. She came over to Emma and put a hand on her forehead. "Oh, honey! You're running a fever!"

"Yeah. I know," Emma gently pushed her mom's hand away from her face. Now was one of the moments where she wished that she had her own place. She didn't need her mom to fuss over her. She could be sick on her own. She had tried it before.

"Do you need anything?" Mary Margaret said. "I could make you some t-"

"No, mom," Emma said hoarsely and would have rolled her eyes if her head didn't hurt so much. "I can make tea myself, okay? And besides, it looks like you're on your way out, isn't that right?"

"Yes," her mom nodded. "Your dad and I are going for a walk in the woods."

"Then go," Emma did her best to chuckle. "I'll just be... hibernating in my room for three days."

Mary Margaret did chuckle. "Okay then. Make yourself some tea. There's aspirin in the bathroom cabinet."

"Got it," Emma said and grinned. Because there was always aspirin in the bathroom cabinet. That hadn't changed since the last time Emma needed them.

Emma's dad came into kitchen, took one look at Emma and then went "oh. 'September sniffles'."

"Yep," Emma confirmed and turned around when she proceeded to sneeze loudly.

"Poor kiddo," David said. "Bless you."

"Thanks."

"Do you need me to buy anything for you on the way back?" Mary Margaret asked concerned. "Some chicken soup perhaps? Or some-"

"Chicken soup sounds good," Emma interrupted. "If you can find that in the forest, I'm gonna be wildly impressed."

David snickered.

"Stay warm," Mary Margaret continued as though Emma hadn't said anything. "Don't get out of bed unless you really need to, and add some extra honey to your tea! Oh, and remember to-"

"_Mom_. I'm twenty eight. Almost twenty nine. I THINK I got it," Emma said. Maybe it was the fever making her irritated, but right now she wished that her mom would please stop it already!

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Mary Margaret said, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Have a nice walk," Emma said as she moved over to the kettle to make the tea.

"Feel better, kiddo," David said as he gently grasped his wife's elbow to guide her out of the kitchen. Emma was sort of grateful for that. Mary Margaret rather looked like someone who'd preferred hanging back and watching over Emma. Which was cute, but nevertheless unnecessary.

Emma put on a big smile as she waved her reluctant mother out of the kitchen. But once the front door had been closed, she coughed loudly and dryly and then made a face as she brought a hand up to rub at her chest. Ouch. That hurt. Damn autumn sniffles getting the best of her. This a hundred percent would not have happened if she had been in Spain where the weather was still nice and warm. Emma grumbled to herself and cursed at the kettle when it startled to whistle loudly. "Shut up! You're making my headache worse, you stupid asshole!". Then she croaked out a laugh. Apparently, the fever was turning her into an old sailor. At least language-wise. Yeah, she should probably try and get that under control while her parents was out on their walk.

She finished making her tea and went back upstairs. She had every intention of going back to bed, but first a trip to the bathroom was necessary. In there she tried to make her hair look at least a bit more normal. The messy (messy, messy!) bun was replaced with a side braid that looked a bit more tidy. Then she examined her face. Eyes were a bit glassy. Cheeks were a little bit pink, but nothing serious. If she stayed in bed with a cup of tea today, she would probably feel much better tomorrow.

Emma quickly brushed her teeth. Just to feel less gross. Then she grabbed a couple of aspirins from the cabinet, downed them with water straight from the tap, and half-wobbled back towards her bedroom with her cup of tea in hand.

The air in her bedroom seemed a little too cluttered, so Emma cranked a window open. Some fresh air would do her good. Wouldn't do disastrous things to her health.

She settled back in bed and grabbed her cellphone like she did every morning. And exactly like any other day, a dopey grin spread across her face as she read the sweet good morning text from Regina. She always texted Emma when she woke up, and now that Emma was awake (ish) she took the opportunity to text back. And tell Regina that she was sick. Admittedly, she did it solely because she wanted some good old fashioned sympathy from her girlfriend. She wanted Regina to go 'aww' and text her things like 'I'm sorry to hear that, _querida_'.

And it didn't take long before Regina did just that. Sympathy came pouring in via text. One message after the other. Regina was clearly not busy right now. Or so it seemed. Emma inquired about it: '**what are you doing right now, sweetheart?'**

The response was utterly adorable. '_I'm baking._'. Emma grinned. '**Oh yeah? What are you baking?**'.

'_Apple turnovers. My dad is coming over later, so I figured I'd make something nice. It's been too long since I last baked. How are you feeling?_'

'**I feel okay. You are such a little housewife ****'**

'_Have to do something to distract myself._'

Emma raised an eyebrow as she typed. '**Distract yourself? From what, exactly? Are you okay?**'

'_Sí_.'

'**Then why do you need distraction?**'

'_Never mind._'

Emma coughed. _Never mind? Oh, I don't think so. _'**Nu-uh! Tell me!' **

'_Can't. It's embarrassing.'_

Now Emma frowned as she took another sip of her tea. This was getting more and more mysterious. And of course she had to press the issue. '**What is it? Seriously, please tell me. Now I'm all curious. And worried.**'

'_Urgh!_'

'**Regina. Come on. Is it a pregnancy-thing? Because I already got a notification about this week's symptoms. And I can't find a single thing that makes me embarrassed or uncomfortable.'**

'_That app clearly goes lightly over one of the symptoms._'

'**Which would be?**'

Three little blue dots appeared, indicating that Regina was typing, and one mouthful of tea later, Emma had received a link to a website where pregnant women could ask questions and get answers from other readers. The headline of the letter from a particular woman read: '_help, constantly horny! What to do?!_'. Oh. Emma cough-laughed as she read what Regina had written underneath the link. '_Let's just say... I can relate to this poor woman.'_

'**Wanna Skype?**' Emma simply texted. Because she missed Regina's pretty face. And because she wanted to 'personally' tell Regina that there was absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.

'_Are you gonna laugh at me?_'

'**Hell no.**'

'_Mind if I bake while we talk?_'

'**Bake away, beautiful girl.**'

'_Okay. Grabbing my laptop right now._'

Emma put her phone aside and did the same. She hade the laptop screen come alive and then patiently waited for that familiar Skype tone. It didn't take long before Regina's picture and '_Regina calling..._' appeared on the screen followed by that tone Emma had grown to love. She quickly pressed the 'accept call'-button and didn't even care that she was sick and looked like garbage. All that mattered was Regina's pretty face appearing on the screen. She had tied her dark hair back in a ponytail, and she was once again wearing an apron. Emma could see that she was in her kitchen, clearly in the process of kneading a dough.

"Hi," Emma smiled.

"_Hola, querida. _How are you feeling?" Regina asked. "Your cheeks are a bit pink. Do you have a fever?"

"I do, but not a bad one. I'll be back to my old self in no time, don't you worry. How are _YOU_ feeling?"

"Pretty miserable," Regina said without skipping a beat. Then she winced and scrunched up her nose in that adorable fashion. "Sorry, that was a bit harsh. I'm okay. Meaning that I don't have any aches or pains."

"But struggling, yeah?" Emma asked softly.

Regina released a groan that seemed to have been held back for hours. Or days. "You. Have. No. Idea! I knew that the second trimester could be like that, but I had no idea that it could get so bad! It's literally the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about before falling asleep! _¡Creo que me estoy volviendo loco!_"

"Oh," Emma said. Now she was the one to express sympathy. "I'm sorry."

Regina let out a puff. "Obviously, I can't be completely certain, but I think the second trimester is equivalent to how a teenage boy feels!" She gave the dough a solid whack that mostly looked like she was punishing it.

"So now you're baking to think about something else?" Emma guessed and let out a dry cough.

"I wish I could say that was the case," Regina sighed. "But no. I'm still thinking about sex. It's two o'clock and I've already taken one shower."

"Seriously?"

"_Sí_," Regina said darkly. "I made the mistake of scratching the back of my leg earlier. And that was enough to make me feel all flushed."

"Wow," Emma said and cursed the situation. Why wasn't she in Spain right now? She _SHOULD_ be in Spain right now. So she could help out Regina. And she probably wouldn't have been sick either if she was in Spain. She studied Regina's face and noticed the dark circles underneath Regina's eyes. "Are you getting enough sleep?" she asked concerned.

"I didn't last night," Regina answered, giving the dough another solid whack. "I woke up at four because of a dream, and then I couldn't go back to sleep again until I had, uhm..." she sucked her cheeks in and looked at the dough rather than at Emma. "Taken care of... things."

"I get it," Emma said softly.

"I think I almost prefer the morning sickness over this!" Regina said, frustration obvious in her voice now. "_¡Esto es lo peor!_"

"You'll just have to be a little extra nice to yourself then," Emma said gently.

Regina laughed bitterly. "I can't be that all the time, _querida_. I kid you not, it's the only thing I wanna do at the moment. Yesterday I was gonna shop for more maternity bras and I had to leave the store again because I got distracted by all the underwear. And this morning I was in the shower-"

"And now I'M getting turned on," Emma interjected.

"Shut up. Anyway, I was in the shower, minding my own business, and then bam, suddenly out of nowhere I get horny! And I was literally not thinking about anything!" Regina huffed exasperated. "But maybe it was because of the way the loofah-"

"Regina. Please stop talking," Emma said tightly. "I might be sick, but I am still capable of..."

"Sorry, sorry," Regina said, half-smiling. "You should try being in my head these days! It's either sex or food. Like I said, teenage boy!"

"Oh god," Emma said and tried not to smile. She wasn't laughing at Regina. It was no laughing matter at all. Regina really looked quite frustrated with the situation.

"I don't know how much longer I can take this before I buy a plane ticket to Boston," Regina joked and appeared to be forcing herself to knead the dough instead of whacking it. "_Pero de todos modos_, how are you? Do you feel very ill?"

"Nope, seeing your pretty face has miraculously cured me."

"My pretty face?" Regina snorted. "_Querida_, I'm wearing no makeup. I didn't do anything to my hair, and I'm wearing a baggy t-shirt. Which you fortunately cannot see because of the apron, but still."

"You look smashing," Emma said firmly. "And nothing can change my mind about _THAT_. Me on the other hand-"

"You look cute," Regina interrupted her. "All pink cheeked."

"Your cheeks are pretty pink too, sweetheart."

"That's because I suffer from a very different kind of fever."

Emma tilted her head slightly. "Even right now?"

"_Sí_. Even right now."

Emma couldn't resist to poke around a bit. "Because of... what? Did you see something?" merciful god, Emma wasn't sure her system could handle the idea of Regina watching something dirty.

"Yes, I'm seeing you," Regina said simply.

It took Emma a few seconds to realize what Regina meant, but when she did, her mouth fell open with a little plop. "Wait, are you saying that... just because you can SEE me? But I look like shit!"

"_Tú no_."

Emma honestly couldn't believe it. "Are you seriously having the hots for me right _now_?!" if that wasn't flattering, Emma didn't know what was. She was all bundled up and her hair was a mess.

"_Sí_!" Regina said and almost sounded a bit angry. "And I feel guilty about it because you're sick and miserable and that's probably the last thing you're-"

"Don't ever feel guilty for having the hots for me," Emma grinned. "Not ever."

Very maturely, Regina poked out her tongue and said something in Spanish that probably wasn't all that nice.

"So, what exactly is going on in your head right now?" Emma asked curiously. However ridiculous it sounded, she felt better.

"You do not wanna know."

"Actually I do," Emma said and quickly checked herself. Was she teasing a pregnant woman right now? A pregnant, _horny_ woman? Yeah. She was a little bit. Shoot. Okay, she'd definitely stop asking after this. It wasn't fair to Regina to keep going on about it when she was struggling.

"At least five different scenarios," Regina almost moaned. "And at least three of them may or may not involve this kitchen table." She stared miserably at the dough on said table. "Isn't that awful?"

"Uhh..." Emma's mouth felt dry and she suddenly felt flushed for other reasons than the slight fever. "Nope. It really, really is not!" she cleared her dry throat. "We'll have to try that the next time I'm in Spain."

"Em-ma, _¡Te lo ruego!_" Regina said strained. "Please stop. Otherwise I have to end the conversation and take another shower. Or possibly do something else."

"Okay, okay," Emma surrendered. "I'll stop. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. This time," Regina said and wiped her flour covered hands slightly. "There. That should do it. Now the dough just needs to rise." She briefly disappeared off screen as she bend down to find a bowl for the dough.

Emma watched as she put the dough into the bowl and laid a dishtowel over it. It was almost as if she had physically been with Regina in the kitchen, baking with her. Emma wished that she was.

"That's that," Regina said and sounded rather pleased with her effort. She looked back at Emma. "So? How did it go with your parents last night? What did they say?"

"I didn't tell them," Emma admitted sheepishly. She had been meaning to, she really had. But for some reason the words had stuck in her throat and she couldn't get them out no matter how much she wanted to. And she sort of hated herself a little bit for not having told them about California yet. It wasn't fair that her friends and Regina knew about her plans when her parents did not.

"Oh, okay," Regina said lightly. "Of course there's no rush, but I thought you said that you were planning on telling them last night?"

"I was," Emma said. "And I AM going to tell them. It's just... it's a big deal, you know? And it's only been a week since I came back from Spain. I'm afraid that my mom will break down in tears or something."

"Does she often do that?" Regina asked.

"No, but still..."

"_Querida_," Regina chuckled softly. "_Es tu vida._ _Su decisión._ I've met your parents, and i can't imagine that they'll be nothing but supportive and understanding when you tell them."

"You're right," Emma nodded. "Of course you are. I know that they'll support me a hundred percent. I think... I think it might be the idea of telling them that freaks me out the most."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked softly.

Emma took a gulp of her tea and winced slightly at the way her throat ached. "Telling them will make it so... real. It won't just be a thought in my head anymore. It'll be an official thing. I'm a small town girl. I'm not used to California. I don't _know_ anyone in California-"

"You'll know my dad," Regina joked.

"Huh?"

"He's moving there, remember?"

"Oh." Emma remembered Henry's talk about wanting to open a restaurant in California. "But I thought that wasn't a thing anymore because of..." she vaguely gestured to Regina's mid-section.

Regina chuckled. "Oh, it's a thing. Very much so. He's been talking about it on and off for years, and now the time is finally right. He's actually a bit like you, _querida_. He has wanderlust. Wants to see something else than Madrid. You're right, he was close to giving up on that dream because of what's going on with me, but I convinced him otherwise. He's been putting his dreams on hold for years for Cora's sake. I refuse to be another obstacle. If trying his luck in California is what he wants, why shouldn't he just go for it? He isn't getting any younger."

"Does he know where he wants to live?" Emma asked.

"Malibu. I think he has known for years."

"Malibu," Emma repeated with a grin. "That's only an hour away from Laguna Beach."

"_Sí_, it sure is. He's like you, _querida_," Regina chuckled. "He too dreams of seeing the beach first thing when he wakes up."

"And what do you dream of, beautiful girl?" Emma asked softly.

"_Tú_," Regina said immediately and flashed Emma a big grin. "But we were talking about you."

Emma ignored that. "What do you think about California?"

"_Me gusta California_," Regina assured with a chuckle. "But we weren't talking about-"

"Suppose I found a beach house big enough for two?" Emma interrupted. "Would you be interested in staying there?"

Regina's brown eyes went wide. "_Querida_, are you asking me to move in with you?"

Emma opened her mouth. "I..." closed it again. Shit, _was_ she asking Regina to move in with her?! Via _Skype_?! Good god! Was it the fever that made her run her mouth all the sudden or what?! Emma swallowed something. Maybe her fever was higher than what she first had assumed. "Uhh," she said, unsure of how to continue from here. She scratched her forehead awkwardly.

This could have been a disaster. An awkward, beyond awkward moment. But, Regina- bless her!- diffused the tension by laughing sweetly. "I think I'd like to do one thing at the time, _mi amor_. She patted her belly. "You know... give birth and all that."

"Right. Gotcha," Emma mumbled, furious at herself for having spoken so freely. It was too soon, damnit!

"But... should you ever want to ask me again, you might get a different answer," Regina softly continued as she reached out as though to touch Emma. "I mean, we can't keep doing this long distance thing forever, can we, _mi amor_?"

"No," Emma said and smiled as she felt the hope swell inside her. "We definitely cannot. But leaving Spain... would you really be okay with that?"

Regina shrugged lightly. "If and when daddy leaves, there isn't much reason for me to stay, is there? I mean, sure I have my jobs, but that isn't all that much of a reason, is it? Who knows, maybe daddy decides to open a flamenco bar at some point..." she laughed pearly. "My point is that I want to be with the people I love the most. And both of them seems to be moving to California. Seems like a pretty good reason to move on. And besides, Robin and Marian are here in Spain. I'd be very happy if I could get an ocean between the three of us."

"You haven't seen any of them around, have you?" Emma asked worriedly.

"No. Though I did see a red car parked outside the building last night. But that could just have been a coincidence," Regina said lightly. "I'm actually sure it was. I was just being paranoid."

"And honestly, who can blame you?" Emma sighed.

Regina chuckled. "I'm finally getting some quiet time. If only my stupid hormones could shut up."

"They're not still going, are they?" Emma asked and tried not to chuckle.

"Oh, they are. Because now I'm thinking about the amount of sex we could have if we lived in a beach house."

Emma couldn't help it. She laughed loudly. And then she started coughing. Violently.

"Oh no!" Regina said alarmed. "I do not like the sound of that! Maybe you should see a doctor, _mi amor_?"

"Nah, it's just the sniffles. Excuse me." Emma even turned her head away from the screen as she coughed. When she was done, she cleared her throat. "Sorry about that. Phew, I'm glad I'm not with you right now. I wouldn't want you to catch anything in your condition."

"You make me sound positively deadly," Regina joked.

"Deadly cute. Can I see the belly?"

"Not much change since you last saw it. Which would be... two days ago."

"I don't care. I wanna see it. Can I? Pleeeaaaase? I'm sick and miserable and seeing your belly is definitely the only thing that will cheer me up right now."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. But this is silly."

"I love silly," Emma assured.

Regina took off her apron and walked backwards slightly, away from the laptop screen. Then she grabbed two handfuls of the oversized t-shirt to pull it tight over her belly. And finally she turned to a sideway position. "There we are."

"Wow," Emma said and shook her head in sheer amazement. Just like she had done the last time. "You know, I'm sure it has grown since the last time I saw it."

"You said that the last time. The growth spurt isn't supposed to happen yet," Regina said overbearingly as she let go of the t-shirt and gave her belly a little rub.

Emma couldn't stop staring at Regina's cute baby bump. Maybe she was being silly, but she could have sworn that it had grown since the last time she saw it. Emma was itching to reach out and touch it, and it was killing her that she couldn't. Even though Regina was right there, Emma missed her so badly it hurt. Missed being able to hold her. It didn't matter that there was 'only' three more weeks to go before Regina would come to Storybrooke and celebrate Emma's birthday with her. And Regina would be twenty weeks pregnant by then. Emma would have missed out on so much stuff. Or so it felt.

"Any movements yet?" Emma asked. Exactly like she did every day.

"You know, I actually thought that there was this morning-"

"What?! Are you serious?!"

"-BUT it turns out that I was just hungry," Regina chucklingly finished the sentence.

"Oh. Right. Makes sense," Emma nodded and let her gaze wander down some. She had been pretty busy looking at Regina's more and more prominent belly, but now she had spotted something that was interesting too. "Honey?"

"Yes, _preciosa_?" Regina drawled and laughed at her own joke.

"Are you not wearing any pants?" Emma asked and raised an eyebrow. She could see the tops of Regina's thighs. The tops of her _bare_ thighs.

Regina smirked as she walked backwards again and bared her very naked legs. "No. You see, I've heard that pregnant women aren't really that big on wearing pants, so I decided to try it for myself."

"Right then." Emma's mouth felt dry again. And her throat felt tight. But for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with her cold. "You are... Jesus, please tell me you are wearing panties!"

Regina spluttered. "Em-ma Swan! I thought I was the one with the raging hormones!"

"Your... pantlessness just made me join the club."

"_Dios mio_," Regina laughed. "For your information, _querida_, I AM wearing panties. They're blue."

"Right. Thanks for that little nugget of information." Emma had to clear her throat again. "Okay." _Deep breaths, Swan_. "What were we talking about?"

"Well, before you got inappropriate with me, I think we were talking about how you haven't told your parents about California," Regina informed her and came closer to the screen again.

"Right. Yeah. I'll tell them. When I'm done running a fever, I'll sit them down and tell them," Emma vowed. "You're right, I can't just keep... not telling them. And I'm pretty sure my mom already knows that something is going on. She's been giving me funny looks since I came home from Spain."

"She's a smart woman," Regina nodded. "Maybe she already knows."

"Maybe." It was possible that her mom's crazy sixth sense had picked up on something.

"Mind if I move you into the living room?" Regina joked. "For some reason I'm getting tired of standing up. And it's ridiculous. I'm not that big yet."

"To the couch it is," Emma laughed. "Lead the way and I'll follow."

"Hold on," Regina said.

Emma waited patiently. There was some shuffling as the laptop was picked up, and then all Emma could see was the floor, Regina's bare feet and her legs. "Am I cradled against your belly?" she inquired. "Or your chest?"

Regina snickered. "Well... Let's just say I'm keeping you close to my heart, _querida_."

"Ever the romantic."

"Mhmm. Woops. There we are."

Emma was 'sat down' on the coffee table, and now she could see Regina's pretty face again.

"Urgh, my place is so messy!" Regina complained and wrinkled her nose.

"No, it's not," Emma said. Regina's living room didn't look that messy. Not like it had at the time where she had just found out she was pregnant. It had looked like a bomb had exploded then.

Before Regina could answer, Emma heard a massive thud that clearly came from her building. "What the hell?" Emma said. "Was that an earthquake or something?"

"No..." Regina said. She let the word hang in the air for a moment while she listened intensely. Then Emma heard another sound. Someone exclaiming in Spanish. Loudly. Cussing, most likely.

"That was _Señora _Ramirez slamming her apartment door without getting her keys with her," Regina said with an eyeroll.

"Oh," Emma said, nodding knowingly. Yes, she had heard about _Señora_ Ramirez and her shenanigans before.

"Well, I'm not gonna help her," Regina muttered lowly. "Not this time. She and I are not exactly on good terms anymore."

"Why not?" Emma asked slightly surprised. _Señora_ Ramirez was definitely an eccentric lady, but normally she and Regina were on pretty friendly terms. Regina had often picked up a few things for her in the local grocery store or helped her getting up the stairs.

"Well, I was helping her getting up to her apartment when I came home last night," Regina explained. "She looked kinda worn out, so I figured I'd leant her my arm..."

"That was nice of you."

"Anyway, we make it up to her apartment door. We chitchat about... I don't know, the weather or something? And just out of nowhere she starts to rub my belly."

Emma spluttered. "No freaking way!"

"Yes, way," Regina sighed. "It literally came out of nowhere, Emma! I hadn't hinted or invited her to touch my belly at all! And she was literally caressing it! Full on! It was creepy!"

"Uhm, yeah!" Emma said in a 'well duh'-tone. "If I had been there, I would have yelled at her! I don't care that she's a little old lady. Did you say something to her? Please tell me you said something to her!"

Regina blushed and looked embarrassed. "I'm afraid I was rude to her. My hormones were raging, and I was feeling antsy, so I might have... told her to get her paws off my belly."

"Good for you."

"I actually said 'fucking paws'."

"Even better."

"Em-ma!" Regina groaned. "You're not supposed to condone it! You're supposed to tell me I was rude!" she sighed. "This is hopeless! Afterwards I called my dad and told him about it. He wouldn't tell me off either. He just huffed and puffed and said that _Señora_ Ramirez should have kept her hands to herself."

"And he's right about that," Emma said plainly. "What did that Ramirez-lady say then?"

"Honestly? She cussed at me. And said '_nacimiento difícil_'."

"Which means...?"

"'Difficult birth'. Maybe she was attempting to curse me or something. Either way, she ran inside her own apartment and slammed the door in my face."

"Okay, I'm so gonna murder her the next time I see her!" Emma fumed. And coughed.

Regina smiled meekly. "It wasn't all that fun. But I still feel bad though. I shouldn't have shouted at her."

"Honey, she touched you without your consent. A pregnant belly doesn't give anyone permission to just touch you," Emma said firmly.

"Except for you," Regina half-chuckled. "You get a free pass every time."

"Maybe, but I'm still gonna ask," Emma smiled. "I hope you won't see that old bat anytime soon."

"I probably won't. She looked pretty-" Regina paused midsentence and put a hand on her belly.

"What?" Emma asked, immediately perking up. "Do you feel something? Movements?"

"No. Rumbling. I'm hungry," Regina said and let out a bubbly laughter. "Gotcha."

"You little tease!"

Regina looked incredibly satisfied with herself as she shifted on the couch and pushed a lock of hair away from her face. "Mind if I eat while we talk?"

"No. Mind turning the laptop so I can watch you walk away?" Emma asked sweetly.

"If you stop using take tone. You make me think... bedroom thoughts," Regina said almost a bit glumly and disappeared out of view as she rose from the couch. At least her head did. Her belly and legs were still fully visible, and Emma was having the time of her life watching as Regina turned the laptop around.

Emma leaned back as though she was about to enjoy a show. And a moment later, she was in fact given one. Regina made a point of walking away. Well, dancing away. She was swaying her hips and proving that she still was every bit a dancer.

"Oh, man," Emma called a bit louder than she normally would so Regina could hear her in the kitchen. "That's the most action I've had in a week!"

"_Sí_, me too!" Regina called back and made a sound that could only be described as a cackle. "But just you wait until it's your birthday. I'll give you plenty of action then!"

"I can hardly wait," Emma groaned. Waiting three more weeks was gonna be terrible, but she would have to do it somehow. And in the meantime, she could stop being such a big chicken and tell her parents about her moving plans. "Looking good!" she called, praising Regina's dancing like so often before.

"Anything to make the patient feel better," Regina joked from the kitchen. And then she let out a happy little sound followed by a: "oooh, _querida, Tengo fresas!_

"Aren't you a lucky gal," Emma said warmly. Seriously, Regina's happiness about food was the cutest thing ever!

"I told you. It's either sex or food these days. If you were here, it could have been both..."

"Yeah, you know what, I'm just gonna have a heart attack real quickly," Emma groaned. Now HER mind had five different scenarios to offer. And most of them involved Regina's naked body and chocolate sauce.

"_Lo siento._ Except I'm not," Regina laughed.

Emma chuckled. Maybe she should make herself some more tea. This Skype session with Regina was clearly gonna be a lengthy one. And Emma couldn't think of a better way to spend her 'sick day'. Maybe she and Regina were apart right now, but they were still together...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

¡Esto es lo peor!= This is the worst!

Tú no.= You do not.

¡Te lo ruego!= I beg you.

Es tu vida. Su decisión= It is your life. Your decision.

Tú= You.

Me gusta California= I like California.

Tengo fresas!= I have strawberries!

Lo siento= I'm sorry.


	37. Chapter 37

Four days after the yucky illness finally had left her body, Emma sat her parents down for the Big Talk. Honestly, she still felt a bit weak. Bit shaky after having been laying in bed for three days straight. And her stomach was a bit fragile too after having lived off of soup and crackers. Regina had acted like a picture-perfect concerned girlfriend. She had called Emma every day to check up on her and make sure that she was eating and getting plenty of fluid. On the second day where the fever had been particularly nasty and Emma was sure she was going to die, Regina had sent her a stream of funny meme's, and when Emma still was feeling miserable after having looked at them all, Regina had pulled out 'the big shots'. She had sent a picture of herself. But not any old picture, oh no. In the picture she was wearing a bikini top. But that wasn't all. She had in fact drawn a big smiley face on her rapidly rounding belly. Emma had laughed so hard she had ended up coughing. That picture had quickly become her favorite one of Regina so far. In the caption, Regina had written: 'Blueberry is hoping for a speedy recovery!'. Emma had been highly, highly amused, and even more so when she called Regina later, and Regina revealed that she hadn't been able to wash the smiley face away yet. She had been busy at work, and the idea of Regina walking around and serving customers with a smiley face drawn on her belly, had made Emma laugh and cough even harder.

Regina had been so cute. She had acted all concerned. For once, she was the one asking a number of health questions. Not Emma. Pretty ironic. Emma had tried to ask about Blueberry, but Regina had brushed it off with the words: no, _querida_, we're talking about you. No belly-questions.'

So Emma had refrained from any 'belly-questions'. And she had actually enjoyed Regina's sweet concern. Where Neal had tended to be a bit dismissive and only ever offered a chaste kiss on the forehead and a 'feel better' when Emma was sick, Regina was completely opposite. She texted Emma regularly. Sometimes late at night too, and that was typically when Emma scolded her and reminded that Regina needed her rest. Regina claimed that she didn't, and so their friendly banter had taken Emma's mind off her pathetic state. Because she had been feeling miserable. The fever had been raging in her body and left her first freezing and then sweating like a pig. There had been a point where Emma was certain she was gonna die, that's how miserable she felt, but obviously she survived. And the first thing she did when feeling better, was asking Regina a million and one 'belly-questions'. One of the first questions being whether Regina had felt any movement yet. Regina hadn't. Not yet. But she was still struggling with interesting 'dreams and thoughts'. Emma had tried to feel bad for Regina, but really, she was more interested in hearing exactly what Regina's dreams consisted of. Regina had pointed out that Emma clearly felt better, and then she had mumbled something in Spanish. Something Emma had identified as being cheeky without knowing exactly what it meant.

"Emma?"

"Huh?" Emma looked up.

"This is your meeting, sweetie," her mom said gently.

"Oh. Right." Emma had been completely lost in her own thoughts about Regina. Now she came back to reality. And reality was that her parents were sitting and looking at her in expectation. Emma was reminded that she had a family-meeting to 'conduct'.

"Right," she said again and cleared her throat. "Well, the thing is," she began and tried to sound confident and sure of herself.

That was when Mary Margaret interrupted her. "Is everything okay, sweetie? Is it something with Regina?"

Emma quelled a smile as she shook her head and said no. For once, it wasn't something about Regina.

"Did something happen at work?" Mary Margaret probed.

"No, mom. Work is fine." just not enough anymore.

"Did you have a run in with Neal? Or Milah? Do I need to-"

"Mom, no," Emma interrupted and shook her head. "It has nothing to do with Neal or Milah."

"Mary Margaret, maybe we should let the kid talk," David chuckled.

"Right. Of course. I'm sorry," Mary Margaret said, shifting slightly in her seat. "It's just that it isn't usually Emma who calls for a family meeting."

Emma chuckled. That was true. Usually, Mary Margaret was the one who arranged the family meetings. Family meetings had been a thing even when Emma was a kid, and now that she was an adult and currently living at home, she willingly participated in said family meetings. They hadn't really been about anything that could potentially serious, though. Until now.

"Emma?" David gently prompted. "Go ahead, kiddo."

"Okay," Emma took a deep breath (what a luxury for someone who had been sounding like a sea lion a few days ago!). "First, I'd like to start out by telling you guys that there's absolutely nothing wrong, alright?"

"Alright," Mary Margaret said, immediately looking a bit calmer.

"But the thing is..." Emma licked her lips and told herself not to stall. God, why was this so hard? She wished that Regina had been with her. Emma could have needed a bit of moral support. She took another deep breath. This shouldn't be difficult. She was twenty eight years old. She had moved out once before. She could do it again. She had to pull herself together and just say it already. If she did that, it would be over in a flash. Quick and easy. Like ripping of a band aid. "The thing is, I think it's time for me to... move on," she said before the courage could desert her again.

"Oh," Mary Margaret said.

"And it's not because something is wrong," Emma said hastily. "It isn't because I haven't enjoyed living with you guys, it's been really good, but-"

"Emma," David chuckled. "You don't have to explain anything. Of course we understand why it's time for you to move out. It was good when you needed to catch your breath after everything that went down with-" his eyes narrowed, and he couldn't even say Neal's name. "The bastard. But now that you've found your feet again, you need to find your own place, of course you do."

"A place where you and Regina can have some privacy," Mary Margaret interjected.

"Right," Emma said and hoped her flushing cheeks would be chalked up to being the last remains of fever. The way her mom said it, made Emma suspect that she might have heard she and Regina giggle. Woops. Pretty embarrassing, but still, it could have been worse. Had her parents come home five minutes earlier- no. Emma did NOT want to think about what they potentially could have overheard then. The thought alone was too mortifying.

"Have you found an apartment then?" Mary Margaret asked briskly and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

"No, not yet," Emma said.

"Well, I can ask around if you want," David offered. "Which part of Storybrooke do you want to live in? Are you thinking near the forest or closer to the square?"

"Uhm, that's the other thing," Emma said and licked her lips. "I'm... I'm not gonna live in Storybrooke."

Now David and Mary Margaret actually looked shocked. David was frowning, and Mary Margaret's mouth had fallen open with a soft pop. "You're... You're not?" she asked quietly.

"No," Emma confirmed, reaching across the table and gently taking her mom's hand. "I know it's a lot, mom, and I'm sorry."

"No-no," Mary Margaret said automatically. "You've got nothing to apologize for, sweetie. I could sense that something was going on, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was."

Emma smiled a little. Of course her perceptive mom had had an inkling.

"Where will go?" David asked. "Boston?"

It made sense that that was the city he first landed on. Emma had lived in Boston once before during her college time. But Boston wasn't at the top of her list. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I was actually thinking more about California."

"California?!" David exclaimed.

"David," Mary Margaret said gently. And slightly scolding too.

"I'm sorry," David amended. "It's just... so far away from Storybrooke."

"I know," Emma said and chuckled slightly. "Scares the shit out of me too, but it's the place I wanna go. I'm not sure why, it just popped into my head. Beach. Sunshine. Palm trees. New horizons."

Mary Margaret nodded, but Emma could still see an ounce of doubt in her eyes, and it didn't take long before she squeezed Emma's hand and gently said: "Emma, honey, I have to ask... Does this have anything to do with Neal? To do with the fact that he's living here in Storybrooke?"

"No," Emma said and smiled. She completely understood why her mom had felt compelled to ask, and she wasn't one bit upset about it. "Neal might be a bastard, but he doesn't have the power to run me out of town. I've wanted to move for a while. Even when he and I was still together. But I knew that it wasn't what he wanted, so I sort of... forgot about it in a way, I guess. Storybrooke is great, it really is. I'm going to miss it like crazy when I leave, but I want more. I want more than just being a wedding photographer. I want the chance to photograph new horizons. Maybe open my own studio eventually." She took a breath. "I love Storybrooke. I love the square and Granny's Diner and everything. I like being a wedding photographer. It's a pretty solid job that pays good money, but it's becoming a habit for me. I wanna... I wanna be challenged a bit. In every way. And I'm afraid I might miss out on some opportunities if I stay here."

Mary Margaret looked at Emma for a moment. Then she chuckled. "What a speech, honey. You must have rehearsed that a few times."

"I might have," Emma admitted with a slight grin.

Now David and Mary Margaret looked at one another. David smiled at his wife and then looked back at Emma. "We understand."

"You do?" the surprise was obvious in Emma's voice.

"Emma, of course we do," Mary Margaret said and smiled at her. "It's gonna be hard not having you around all the time, but of course we understand that you need to do something else with your life. You're a wonderful photographer, and I don't like the idea of you wasting your abilities here if there's something bigger waiting for you in California."

"Yeah, Regina said something similar," Emma chuckled.

Mary Margaret tilted her head. "Regina knows?"

Oops. "She does," Emma admitted. "It sort of just... came up. As it did when I was with Belle and Ruby. Basically, I told everyone else before telling you guys. I'm sorry."

"Were you afraid to tell us?" David asked. He shook his head and laughed heartedly. "Emma, kiddo, we support you. No matter what. Well, almost. Unless it involves murder or breaking the law in some way, the answer's no, but otherwise..." he reached out and patted her hand. "You have our support. Always. Even if it involves moving away from Storybrooke."

"Thanks, guys," Emma smiled. Now she felt a bit silly. She should have just come clean about this weeks ago. Would have been so much easier.

"What does Regina think of it?" Mary Margaret asked.

"She supports me too. And she's more than up for visiting me in Cali." And potentially moving in someday, but Emma didn't say that out loud. There was no reason to mention it when it wasn't even a thing yet.

"Of course," Mary Margaret said in a tone that more than suggested that she hadn't expected anything else from Regina.

Emma felt very light. Not that she had been afraid of telling her parents or anything, of course not, but she had feared that this could end in tears. At least on her mom's part. But clearly, that was not how things would go down. "Right," Emma said and took a breath. "I'm really glad you guys are taking it so well."

"Well, we can't exactly lock you in a tower, can we?" David joked.

"You could. But I'd probably come up with a creative way to escape," Emma laughed.

"Or perhaps Regina would come and free you," David said wittily and added an extra layer to the joke.

"Oh my god!" now Emma was really laughing. Mainly because she could actually see that happen. And the idea of a pregnant Regina valiantly climbing the tower to save her was just a little too funny.

"She'd do it," David predicted with a chuckle.

"You know what, I think she would," Emma agreed.

"Both of you are silly!" Mary Margaret scolded. "Nobody is climbing any towers. And certainly not a pregnant woman!"

Both Emma and David laughed, and Emma immediately wanted to call Regina and tell her the good news. And she was grateful that Regina had pushed her a bit. Emma had been kind of a chicken when it came to telling her parents about her moving plans. But now everything was out in the open, and Emma couldn't be happier about it.

"Have you decided on what part of California you want to move to then?" David asked and pulled Emma out of her thoughts.

"I was thinking Laguna Beach, actually," Emma replied. "But that might just be a pipe dream..."

"That's ridiculous," Mary Margaret interrupted. "You need to have a little faith, Emma."

"Noted," Emma joked.

"We should go out and celebrate it," David said.

"Celebrate that I'm leaving you guys?" Emma teased.

"Of course not. Celebrate that you told us," he scowled. "Celebrate the next chapter that's waiting for you in California!"

"Let's not oversell-"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Mary Margaret chirped. "I'll book us a table at Granny's immediately!" she stood from her chair and glanced around after her cellphone.

"Mom, you're the mayor. You don't need to book a table," Emma pointed out.

"It would be impolite not to," her mother brushed her aside. "Ah, there's my phone." Without further ado, she turned her back on them and began dialing the number to Granny's Diner.

"Right then," Emma muttered and suffocated a grin. The conversation was clearly over now. But that was okay. Emma had pretty much said all she needed to say. She felt all light and happy. And with an intense urge to call Regina. She hadn't even done that today. Only texted earlier this morning where she had told Regina about her plans to break the news to her parents today. And Regina, that wonderful creature had of course said all the right things. Had assured Emma that everything would go just fine. And she had been right. Of course she was. Regina was seldom not right, Emma had started to realize.

She flashed her father a smile as she rose from the chair and then excused herself to go upstairs. She really needed to talk to Regina. She was eager to tell Regina about it, and she was even more eager to hear about Regina's shopping trip. Because that was what Regina was doing today. Shopping for new clothes. Jeans, to be specific. She had grown out of her old jeans, and she claimed that she couldn't wear dresses in Storybrooke. The weather wasn't warm enough. And she was probably right about that.

There was a certain bounce in Emma's steps as she walked up the stairs, and she was pleased to discover something. That twinge of panic and 'oh my god, oh my god, oh my god', she had been feeling every time she thought about California was gone. It was real now, but in a very good way. The best kind of way. She actually just wanted to run upstairs and start googling beach houses, but she wasn't gonna do that. First, there was her birthday and then there was the trip to New York to show that gallery owner her pictures. First things first. She reminded herself to hold her horses. At least that was what her mom always said. Emma chuckled slightly to herself and shook her head.

Once upstairs, Emma found her phone and dialed Regina's number. Waited not-so-patiently until...

"_Hola, querida!_"

"_Hola_, beautiful girl," Emma smiled. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good, how are you?" Regina asked, and Emma immediately noticed how upbeat and bubbly she sounded. That was awesome!

"I'm doing good too," Emma assured. "How's the shopping coming along?"

"It's... coming. Buying jeans is a lot harder than I expected," Regina huffed. "Finding a size that fits me is tricky."

"Oh, man. I wish I was there to help you."

"_Sí_, I wish that too. But I'll manage," Regina said briskly. "Now tell me... How did the talk with your parents go?"

"Awesome," Emma said relieved and truthfully. "They could understand why I wanted to leave Storybrooke. No tears, no drama."

"Really? That's fantastic, _querida_," Regina said. "Hold on!"

"Okay," Emma half-chuckled and wondered what Regina was doing. She could hear some shuffling in the other end. And music. Loud music. And Regina saying something in Spanish. Emma chuckled again. What was going on?

"Sorry about that," Regina said after a second. "The place's a bit crowded today."

"Where are you?" Emma curiously inquired.

"I'm in the mall. Which I now regret. It's full of people," Regina complained and groaned. "And the changing rooms are too hot."

"You're in a changing room right now?"

"_Sí_."

"Does that mean you found a pair of jeans?"

"_Sí_. Or, I'm trying," Regina sighed. "I normally like jeans, but that elastic waistband thing..."

"You'll make elastic waistband look hella sexy," Emma said confidently and tried not to get carried away at the idea of Regina wearing jeans. Emma had a certain weakness for Regina in jeans. She had been wearing jeans a handful of times when she was in Storybrooke, and Emma was still getting palpitations just from thinking about it.

"I don't know about that. But I do know that I've deserved a milkshake after this."

"Milkshake?" Emma echoed and chuckled. "Is that a thing now?"

"_Sí_, I think it might be."

"And..." Emma lowered her voice as she continued: "how is it going with the-thing-we-don't-talk-about?" meaning Regina's sex drive. Even the word 'sex' could make Regina feel all 'hot and bothered' she had said, so Emma made a silly point of never saying the word. That always amused Regina, and thus also today. She chuckled.

"It's... going," Regina said, and Emma heard more shuffling. "I might have had... another late night last night."

"Good," Emma said simply. "You just do whatever you need to do to stay comfortable, babe."

"I'd rather have you do it."

Emma chuckled at the bold words. "Me, too. Definitely. But until then..."

"I'll have to settle," Regina said, clearly only partially joking, and Emma heard the sound of something falling onto the floor. "_Mierda_," Regina said quietly.

Emma chuckled again. "Exactly what are you doing right now?"

"I'm trying on those jeans," Regina huffed, strained.

"So... does that mean you're in your knickers right now?" Emma teased.

"Yes, _querida_, that's what it means. And stop teasing me. I've used the word 'knickers' one time."

"And it was adorable."

"_Cállate_," Regina grumbled.

"Rude, much," Emma laughed. "If you were here, I'd totally do something about your attitude..."

"Oh yeah? _¿Me vas a azotar?_" Regina said sultrily and lowly.

Emma groaned. "That's not fair. You know I've no idea what that means!"

Now Regina was the one who was laughing. "Let's just say, it means something I normally wouldn't say in a changing room..."

"Okay, now I REALLY wanna know!"

"Not telling," Regina teased and then groaned slightly once more. "_!Dios! _Okay, there we are. I did it!"

"Did what?"

"Zipped the jeans," Regina said triumphantly. "And they're actually not that bad."

"I'm sure they're not. You look like a million bucks in them."

"_Querida_, you can't possibly know that," Regina laughed. "You haven't seen me in them!"

"No, but I'm going to, aren't I?" Emma pointed out.

"That's true. I think I actually might buy these," Regina said. "They're quite comfortable. And the stretchy waistband is something I have to live with. As long as Blueberry's comfortable, right?"

"Mmm," Emma said fondly and felt her insides melt just a little. "How's Blue doing, by the way?"

"Still no kicking," Regina said, ever so patiently. She of course already knew that was what Emma was asking her.

"Okay, okay," Emma grinned. "Had to ask."

Regina laughed with her. "I'll let you know as soon as anything happens, _querida_, you know that."

"Yeah. You're going to work tonight, aren't you?"

"_Sí_," Regina confirmed. "I am. Late shift. But that's okay."

"You're sure?" Emma didn't particularly like the idea of her pregnant girlfriend being on her feet all night.

"Of course," Regina assured with another soft chuckle, and Emma heard some more shuffling. Was Regina in the middle of taking off her jeans? Dear god...

"And what plans do you have for tonight, _mi amor_?" Regina asked briskly and interrupted Emma's stream of less-than-PG thoughts.

"My mom suggested dinner at Granny's," Emma replied. "To celebrate my 'new chapter in California.'"

"That sounds really nice," Regina said yearningly. "I'm sorry I can't be there with you."

"Yeah, me too, but you'll be here soon enough," Emma said firmly. Really, if she squinted and adopted her mom's over positive way of thinking, she could force herself into believing that it wouldn't be that long before she and Regina would be together again. Long distance was freaking hard.

"For your birthday," Regina said softly. "Tell me, have you changed your mind about that, by the way?"

"Not a chance," Emma grinned. "I still just want to have a nice, quiet day in with you."

"But it's your birthday, _querida_!" Regina protested. "We have to do SOMETHING special!"

"You being here will be plenty specia-"

"At least let me take you out for dinner," Regina interrupted. "Like you did with me."

"Will you buy me a cupcake too?" Emma said goofily. "And sing 'happy birthday' for me?"

"I'll even do it in Spanish if you want."

"Deal," Emma chuckled and lowered her voice to a whisper as she continued: "and what about the... after-celebration? Is that something that can happen too? I have the fondest memories of how we wrapped up YOUR birthday, beautiful girl..."

"_Sí_, I remember that too," Regina said, now definitely longingly. "That was a good night. The best birthday I've ever had."

"Was it the food, the desert or the... you-know-what?" Emma asked and grinned mischievously.

"All of it," Regina said firmly. "But the 'after-celebration' was definitely..."

"Yeah," Emma said simply. It most definitely was. She and Regina had had a lot of very (very!) good sex, but the sex they'd had on Regina's birthday had been particularly mind blowing.

"You're going to eat a burger for me tonight, right?" Regina said, and Emma had to grin at the way she not so subtly was changing the subject.

"Of course," Emma vowed.

"And think of me while I work hard," Regina continued, now jokingly.

"Oh, I'll definitely do that. And then I'll wish that I could be there to rub your feet when you come home."

"Oooh," Regina cooed. "I'll definitely ask you to do that when I see you again."

"Done," Emma chuckled. "How did those jeans come along, by the way?"

"I'll buy them," Regina replied. "They're comfortable, and I can see myself walk around in them. I'll just have to live with the waistband."

"I can't wait to see you in those jeans," Emma smiled. She had a feeling that Regina looked incredible in them. "What are you gonna do now?"

"For starters, I'm gonna pay for the jeans," Regina quipped. "And then I'm getting out of this mall as fast as possible."

"And buy a milkshake?" Emma teased in the sweetest way possible.

"_Sí_," Regina said mock-seriously. "Don't you think I've deserved it, _querida_?"

"Absolutely. You've been working hard."

Regina's sweet laughter filled Emma's ears, and she felt incredibly tempted to buy a plane ticket to Madrid right then and there. She brushed a lock of hair away from her face and smiled. Even with an ocean between them, Regina could easily melt her heart.

"I've literally done zero work today, _mi amor_," Regina pointed out.

"Sure you have," Emma said. "You are... growing something. Every single day. That's pretty hard work, babe."

"Quit making cry!" Regina scolded. "I'm a pregnant woman. My body is full of hormones!"

"Sorry," Emma said quickly. "Just... ignore me." shit, she had to get better at this! Regina was enormously sensitive now, and it didn't take much to make her cry. A sweet comment or a cat commercial. Yesterday she had cried about a tub of ice cream. Simply because she was happy to find it in her fridge. Emma had tried really not to laugh about that. At least until Regina herself had started laughing. Then it had been really hard not to...

That evening, Emma and her parents went to Granny's to have dinner. Mary Margaret insisted upon ordering wine for all of them, and then they toasted to 'Emma's California dream'. At least that was what David had called it, and Emma laughed heartedly and didn't disagree with him, but...

"Guys, I have to wait and see how everything will go in New York," she reminded her parents.

"And why wouldn't it go well?" her mom scoffed. "You're a wonderful photographer, sweetie. Otherwise the owner of the gallery wouldn't have contacted you, would she?"

"No, I suppose not," Emma said, suffocating a smile. That was exactly what Regina had said too. She and Mary Margaret were pretty alike. Both of them so optimistic. That was one of the reasons why Emma loved Regina. Her adorable optimism. And her impressive ability to bounce back when things were tough. She had sounded so happy when they had spoke on the phone today. And she had looked so happy too. When Regina had left the mall, they had facetimed, and Emma had enviously watched as Regina sipped her strawberry milkshake on a little pavement café. Regina had been wearing a white sundress. Her hair had been gathered in a soft bun on top of her head, and her cheeks had almost been glowing in the sunlight. Emma had said many goofy things about wanting to reach through the screen and touch Regina. Regina had laughed so beautifully. Emma's heart had been aching, and it still was. Spain was so very far away. Regina was so very far away. Regina and Blueberry. They had been talking a lot about Blueberry too, and Regina had consistently referred to 'Blue' as 'he'. She was definitely growing more and more comfortable in her pregnancy, and she rocked it! The first weeks of morning sickness had been replaced by sparkling eyes and glowing cheeks. Regina was quite literally blossoming before Emma's very eyes. She had never looked happier. Or healthier.

Emma was happy too. So, so happy. Regina deserved stability, and that was what she had now. A plan for the future. And her father's support. Emma was sure that was what made Regina feel so good. That Henry hadn't turned her away because she was pregnant. That he was nothing like Cora at all.

Cora. Just thinking about her, made Emma pissed, so she took a sip of her wine, a bite of her burger and smiled at her parents.

David returned the smile. "When you find that beach house, make sure it's one with three bedrooms. Your mom and I still want to come and bother you."

"David!" Mary Margaret scolded.

But Emma laughed. "Sure, I'll remember that, dad. Don't worry. And I WANT you and mom to come and bother me. All the time."

"All the time, kiddo," her dad confirmed and patted her hand. "I'm proud of you."

"For what?" Emma asked and tilted her head. "I haven't done anything, dad."

"You're taking a huge leap by moving," her dad said. "You've gone from expecting yourself to live a white picket fence life in the town you grew up in to moving to California-"

"I haven't moved anywhere yet."

"-You taking a step into the unknown," David finished his sentence, non plussed by Emma's interruption. "That's brave, and so, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, dad. Let's see how long I'll last in Cali," Emma joked.

"Emma," Mary Margaret scoffed and rolled her green eyes. "What did I tell you abut being so hard on yourself?"

"I was just kidding, mom," Emma chuckled. "Relax."

"I will not," Mary Margaret brushed her off. "I will not listen to you bringing yourself down, not even as a joke..."

Emma zoned out when the door to the diner opened and Neal stepped in. She wasn't particularly bothered by it. Actually not at all. Neal could come to the diner if he wanted to. Emma harbored no feelings for her ex-fiancé. Not even hatred. She just... didn't care. Which was pretty amazing, really. To think that she no longer cared about the man she was supposed to marry, the man she once loved, the man who hurt her so gruesomely. She should be wanting to bash his head in. But she didn't. Not anymore. Neal was a part of her past. And Emma was not going that way. She was going onwards. With Regina.

But still, Emma observed her ex-fiancé as he found a boot in the corner of the diner. To be brutally honest, he looked like shit. His hair had grown into a long, unkempt mess. His cheeks were stubbly. It had probably been weeks since he last shaved. Even his clothes looked terrible. Baggy sweatpants and hoodie. He looked terrible. Emma checked herself. Did she feel maliciously happy because of it? No. But she didn't feel concerned either. She felt... nothing. Absolutely nothing for the man who had been a part of her life for so long. Strange. A few weeks ago, she gladly would have ripped his head off. Now he wasn't worthy of her anger.

"Are you okay?" Mary Margaret asked as she leaned in. She had clearly noticed Emma's lingering gaze on Neal.

"Yes," Emma said and smiled. And she was. She took a bite of her burger. Neal's presence did not bother her in the slightest. She had nothing more to say to him. Nothing whatsoever. He was slowly but steadily turning into a stranger. And that was exactly how Emma wanted things to be.

"Then I think we should toast again," David said with a smile. "To Emma's upcoming plans!"

"To California," Mary Margaret agreed and raised her glass.

"California!" Emma smiled, lifting her own glass and clinking it with her parents'. This was something close to the perfect night. The only thing missing was Regina, but Emma had received a selfie from her earlier. One that her made her laugh loudly. Regina had changed into 'work clothes' for the occasion. She had been wearing a goofy smile and a t-shirt saying 'loading, please wait'. Of course Emma had understood the meaning right away, and she had been thoroughly amused by it. And happy. The t-shirt had been a clear sign of Regina growing more and more comfortable in her pregnancy.

"Laguna Beach, was it?" David asked and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts. He was sitting with his phone.

"Yup," Emma confirmed, grinning because she knew that her dad was planning on googling Laguna Beach. He wanted to see pictures. He always did.

"Alright, let's see..." he tapped on his phone for a moment and then he whistled quietly. "Wow, that looks really nice, Emma!"

"It does," Emma laughed. "Let's keep our fingers crossed that I'll actually end up there."

"When you do, we'll come and visit you," Mary Margaret said firmly, leaning in to look over her husband's shoulder. "Just look at that ocean!"

"Maybe your mother wants to move with you," David joked.

Emma chuckled and shook her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neal clench his fist. The diner wasn't particularly loud tonight, so maybe there was a chance he had heard what they were talking about. Emma didn't care. So what if he heard about her plans about moving to California? Pretty soon everybody would find out.

Ruby emerged from behind the counter and greeted the Swan family on her way over to Neal's table. Her tone was clipped, bordering on chilly when she asked him what she could do for him tonight. Emma suffocated her amusement. Good old Ruby. She would never treat Neal like the rest of her customers. Her anger ran far too deep for that. She had threatened to spit in Neal's drink several times already, but Emma had laughingly begged her not to. She didn't want Ruby to get in trouble at work, but still, it amused her that Ruby could even think of it.

Emma glanced at Neal. No doubt it was an uphill battle when your ex-fiancés best friend just so happened to work at the town diner. That had amused Regina too, and she had applauded Ruby's suggestion about spitting in Neal's drink. In return, Emma had called Regina a 'wicked girl', and Regina had first smirked but then blushed profusely.

Emma smiled at Ruby as she passed their table again. Disappeared behind the counter to return with a mug of beer for Neal. Emma shot a glance at her former fiancé. His gaze was a little unfocused. Emma suspected that he was already tipsy. Had he always been so fond of beer?

The answer was yes. Emma just hadn't been able to see it before because she was still wearing rose tinted glasses when it came to him. But now that those glasses had come off, she had no problem with acknowledging that Neal actually had been VERY fond of beer during the time they had known each other. Fond of beer and fond of the Rabbit Hole. Many a night, Emma had called him only to discover that he was 'at the bar with the guys'. Emma thoughtfully took a small sip of her wine. It had been a while since she last had seen Neal's 'guys'. She wondered what had happened there. Had he ditched them? Had they ditched him? Emma didn't know, but she did know that she was witnessing Neal's downfall. He looked like shit. Emma didn't feel sorry for him. She felt nothing. Not for him, nor Tamara. She hadn't thought about her former wedding planner for a long, long time. But one thing was certain... She did not feel guilty for getting Tamara sacked. Even though Emma had been pissed and perhaps not completely in her right mind when she made that phone call to Tamara's boss, she still felt like she had done the right thing. You couldn't exactly call yourself a wedding planner when you were one of the reasons the wedding fell apart, could you? And who said that Tamara wouldn't do this again? Maybe this kind of thing was a sport for her. Maybe she was getting a kick out of seducing the husbands-to-be. Maybe she enjoyed seeing how far she could take things.

"How was Regina doing today?" Mary Margaret asked and interrupted Emma's musings about Tamara.

"Oh, she was doing great," Emma gushed, always happy to talk about the woman who always was on her mind. The woman who was a bit too far away for her liking right now. "Which reminds me..." she fumbled for a second and then found her phone. She was grinning from ear to ear as she showed her mom the picture of Regina in the 'loading, please wait' t-shirt. Mary Margaret chuckled softly. "She looks wonderful. I must say that pregnancy really suits her."

"I know, right!" Emma said, gushing once more. She couldn't help it. Regina looked so darn sweet with the little bump.

"Is everything still okay?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yeah, it is," Emma confirmed. She knew what her mother meant. The Robin-Marian-Cora-situation. Regina hadn't seen either of them for a long time, and Emma felt as relieved as Mary Margaret looked. And then the blonde grinned. She loved how much her mom worried about her 'daughter-in-law'. It was positively adorable.

"We're looking forward to seeing her again," David smiled.

"Me, too!" Emma grinned. This was somewhat close to the perfect night. Emma felt as light as a feather as she took a sip of her wine...

A few hours later, one very happy and a bit tired Emma Swan was getting ready to go to bed. She felt a bit woozy like she always did after she'd had wine, but that was okay. Tonight had been a very good night. It felt awesome, having finally told her parents about her big plans. And it was even more awesome knowing that they supported her a hundred percent. Emma was going to miss them when she moved away from Storybrooke, but they would facetime all the time. She would come home as often as she could, and her parents could visit her in California too. Emma hoped they would. God knows her mom sometimes needed a vacation from mayoring. She took her position very seriously, and she was a damn good mayor, but sometimes she pushed herself a little too much because she wanted to please everybody. Emma and her dad had often talked about that. Emma hoped that her move to California would be an excuse for her mom to take the vacation she so desperately needed.

Emma smoothened the flannel pajama bottoms over her legs and slipped into bed. Ahh. Finally. It felt wonderful to lie down. Her head was a little... spinny after the wine she'd had earlier. She couldn't hold her liquor anymore. She was getting old. Emma chuckled to herself. If Regina was here, she probably would have scolded Emma for calling herself old. Regina. As Emma closed her eyes, she imagined what Regina was doing right now. All curled up in bed wearing a stolen tanktop and one hand cradling her growing belly like it so often did. Or maybe- Emma grinned mischievously to herself now- Regina's sleep was a bit more fitful tonight. Maybe she was having another one of her dreams. If that was the case, Emma would hear about it tomorrow, and she couldn't wait. Couldn't wait to hear Regina's voice go low and loaded with double meaning. If they facetimed, Regina would a hundred percent tug her hair behind her ear. She always did that when they were talking about 'certain things' as she called it. Emma missed talking to her about 'certain things' face to face. The weeks before she and Regina would be together again seemed to stretch out like a long and difficult road full of bumps in front of Emma. She missed her girlfriend terribly. So terribly she was almost on the verge of texting Regina right now, but she knew she couldn't do that. Regina was pregnant and needed her rest. She'd had a long day with shopping and working at the bar. And plus, they had already said goodnight. Regina always send a silly selfie from her apartment when she got home. Just to let Emma know that she had come home safe and sound. Emma appreciated it. As she appreciated tonight's selfie. Regina had been wearing the 'stolen' tanktop. Her hair had been down, and she had been wearing no makeup. The newest selfie of Regina was officially Emma's new favorite picture of her. One amongst many. Deep down, Emma knew that she never could pick just one picture of Regina and claim it to be her favorite. That would be ridiculous.

Emma stretched in bed and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She should have put it up before going to bed, but she had been entirely too lazy. If Regina had been here, she would have played with Emma's hair. She had a thing for Emma's hair. Emma liked to tease Regina and say that she had a thing for blonde hair in particular, but so far, Regina had never confirmed nor denied it.

A deep, content sigh escaped Emma as she rolled onto her back. The wine had made her feel all fuzzy and happy. But it wasn't just the wine. It was because everything was going so well. She had told her parents what was going on. She had actively made the first, tiny step towards California. There would be many, many more steps before she would find herself at the beach, she dreamed of being in, but this made for a good beginning. But she wasn't just feeling warm and fuzzy because everything was working out for her. She was feeling warm and fuzzy because everything was working out for Regina too. Regina was thriving. Physically and mentally. She wasn't feeling nauseous or tired anymore. Nor was she concerned about the future. Not anymore. She had a plan. Emma was so, so happy for her girlfriend. If there was something Regina deserved, it was stability. Lots of it.

_Rustle-rustle-rustle_.

Emma opened one eye. What was that? It definitely seemed to come from outside. But it couldn't have been the wind. It wasn't windy at all tonight. Had they maybe forgotten to close the gate when they walked back from Granny's? Emma quickly checked her memory. No, they had definitely closed the gate. Her mom always made a point of closing the gate every time they had been out. One of her biggest pet peeves was when the gate was clack-clack-clacking during windy nights.

_Rustle-rustle-rustle._

There was that sound again. It seemed to be getting louder, but Emma had to admit that it didn't sound like the gate. Maybe it was an animal then? A fox or that big-ass cat sometimes came to visit them late at night? 'Monster', as Emma had christened the cat always went through their thrash, and Emma groaned because she probably was the only one awake right now, and if it really was the cat, it meant that she had to get out of bed, go outside and prevent him from going through their thrash and scattering it all over the lawn.

_Rustle-rustle-rustle._

"Fuck!" Emma cussed. "Damn cat!" now she definitely had no choice but to leave her warm 'nest' and go check out what that fucking noise was about. She didn't want her parents to wake up to thrash covering the lawn just because she had been too much of a lazy ass to go and take care of it.

_Rustle-rustle-rustle_!

"Alright, alright! I'm comin'!" Emma complained as she reluctantly sat up in bed and brushed her hair away from her face. Then she groaningly came to a standing position and forced herself to pad across the soft carpet and over to the window.

The motion light sensor was on in the front yard. Even through the curtains Emma could see that. So something was definitely out there.

"Damn cat!" Emma exclaimed and immediately grinned meekly to herself because she sounded like a grumpy old lady. Had Regina been here, she would have been amused at that too.

With a groan that definitely sounded like an old lady's, Emma yanked the curtains aside, fully expecting to see that smug asshole of a cat roaming through their thrash. Oh yes, there was definitely something out there. But what she found in their front yard, half laying in one of her mother's bushes was not that big, red cat. It wasn't even a nosy fox.

It was Neal.

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Cállate= Shut up.

¿Me vas a azotar?= Are you going to spank me?


	38. Chapter 38

"Fuck my life," Emma muttered earnestly. Dealing with a drunken ex-fiancé was NOT how she wanted to spend her evening. And Neal had to be drunk right now. Otherwise he probably wouldn't be half-laying in Mary Margaret's bushes.

Emma groaned. That stupid, fucking idiot! What the hell was his problem even?! As far as Emma was concerned, she and Neal had had it out already. But maybe he was too dumb to understand that. Maybe that slap in the face hadn't been hard enough. Red-hot anger rushed through her veins as she watched her former fiancé attempt to stand up and stagger away from the bushes. What the hell was he even playing at? That drunken idiot. She felt a rather bizarre urge to laugh. A sort of hopeless laugh. The devil in her was tempted to sit tight and wait while he tried the front door and set all the alarms in the house off. But she reminded herself that her parents lived her too. They were asleep, and Emma definitely did not want them to be woken up by the alarm. They would get the shock of a lifetime and assume that there was an 'actual' burglar. Emma didn't see Neal as a burglar. She saw him as an idiot. And she was very much done feeling as much as a twinge of amusement when she saw him pick up a rock. A small rock. One that he almost immediately dropped because he was drunk. But his intention with said rock was pretty clear. He had been opting for throwing it against the window like he used to do when they were teenagers.

"Are we seriously doing this?" Emma muttered to herself as she watched Neal drunkenly search for another rock. Yes, clearly they were. It would only be a matter of time before he actually managed to pick up a rock and throw it against her window. Or trample her mom's flowers down.

Realizing that she had to intervene in some kind of way, Emma released a deep and guttural groan. And then she found her bathrobe and whipped it on. She felt tempted to bring the baseball bat her father so lovingly had placed under her bed when she and Neal broke up, but she decided against it. She would prefer to solve this without violence. She had already punched Neal in the face once. That had to be enough.

As quietly as possible, Emma slipped out of her room and down the stairs. She made a point of avoiding that one special step that creaked like hell. She stopped for a moment. Nothing from upstairs. Her parents were still fast asleep. Emma prayed that it would stay that way. The last thing she wanted was to involve her parents in this.

She made it downstairs and took a second to puff out her chest and square her shoulders. She was not even remotely in the mood for another confrontation with Neal. She had kind of thought he was done being a prick, but apparently not. Apparently, he just had to try his luck one more time. Idiot. What did he expect would happen? That she just magically would have changed her mind and throw herself into his waiting arms?

Emma snorted. "Think again, buddy." Then she opened the front door and stepped outside. The motion sensor light switched on when she came out in the front yard. It had been switched off for a while. Could she be so lucky that Neal had fallen asleep in the bush? If that was the case, nothing would bring Emma greater pleasure than getting a glass of water and throwing it in his face.

She was not that lucky.

"Em!" Neal called when he spotted her. He clumsily got on his feet and staggered away from the bush.

"Neal," Emma dully acknowledged.

The man in question came wobbling over to her. He literally looked like shit. Cheeks stubbly and unshaved. Eyes bloodshot and watery. Hair sticking up. The same baggy jeans and hoodie he had been wearing earlier in the diner. Only difference being that he appeared to have spilled some kind of drink on the hoodie. It was stained.

"Em," he repeated. He sounded breathless. Maybe he was trying to sound seductive. He was failing miserably.

Emma pulled her robe tighter around her. Suddenly, she felt like a woman from a Jane Austen novel, about to reject the crass man who had been bothering her. "The fuck do you want?" she asked sharply. Women in Jane Austen novels probably didn't talk like that, but what the hell. Emma was so annoyed she could have killed Neal right then and there.

"I rrrreally need to talk to you," Neal slurred and tried to fix his posture. It didn't help. He was still slouching.

"We don't have anything to talk about," Emma said crassly. "Get the fuck out of my front yard before I alert the police." meaning her father who was currently asleep upstairs.

"We have everything to talk about!" Neal claimed and was asshole enough to jab a finger in her face. Emma noted that his knuckles looked oddly bruised. What was up with that? "I heard you and your p-parents talk earlier!"

"Congratulations. Your hearing works. Now leave me the fuck alone," Emma said flatly and turned around to get back in the house. As far as she was concerned, they were done.

But Neal was far from done. So very far from it! "I can't let you leave!" he exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" Emma said. Voice still flat.

"Yeah, that's right," Neal said, now sounding almost triumphant. "I heard you talk about moving to California, Em!"

"That's none of your business, Neal."

"The fuck it is! You can't leave!"

"Oh, believe me, buddy, I CAN! What I do and don't do isn't any of your business anymore!" Emma was seriously growing annoyed. The nerve of this asshole!

"Come on, Em! You don't really wanna go! You're only saying so because you wanna hurt me!"

Emma laughed. "Jeez, Neal, you're so fucking full of yourself! You seriously think I care that much about you? Well, guess what? I don't give a damn about you."

"You can't leave!" Neal repeated. "I can't let you go!"

"You can't 'let' me go?" Emma repeated, nostrils flaring and vision slowly reddening. "Who the fuck do you think you ARE?! Think you have any control over me? I've got a newsflash for you: you don't. I'm not interested in talking to you. Now leave before I have you arrested for being in my garden in the middle of the night!" she turned around, fully intending to heading back inside and alerting her father that there was a jerk in the garden.

"Em! Em, I love you!"

Emma straight up laughed at that. "Oh, come on, man! We both know that's not true! Quit being such an idiot already!"

"It's true, Em! I love you," Neal claimed and shuffled forward. He grabbed her hand. "You're the one I want! It's always been you, Em. I know I've been an idiot, but I promise you, all of that is over now, just please give another chance! I wanna make it up to you, I wanna go back to the way we were!"

"Let go of me," Emma said sharply and yanked her hand out of Neal's grasp. The movement sent him back into the bush. Good. "The way we were is dead, Neal! And in hindsight, I think it was even before we got engaged. Before Tamara. We grew apart, Neal. I grew up and realized that I wanted other things. Things that you couldn't give me. You have to realize that it's over. The sooner you do that, the better. You have to move on! Stop drinking and ruining your life! Move on like I did! And get the hell out of my garden!" she turned around once more.

But Neal wasn't done yet. He pushed himself up from the bush and his voice was full of venom when he hissed: "It's that bitch, isn't it?!"

Emma's hands curled into fists, and she slowly turned around to face her ex-fiancé once more. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?!"

"That... that CHICK you're dating!" Neal snarled. "She's the one who put this into your head isn't she?"

"If you know what's good for you, you leave Regina the fuck out of this!" Emma sneered. "She has nothing to do with this! Be angry at me, I don't give a fuck, but start going off at her while I'm here, and I'll fucking-" she took a sharp breath. "No, you know what, you're not worth it. Just... get the fuck out of here, okay?! Last warning!"

Neal huffed. "Come on, Em, when are you gonna stop kidding yourself? We both know she's just some rebound thing you're seeing to punish me. Well, you've made your point, okay? I get that I hurt you! Now please drop the act and lets work on what we have!"

"What we have?!" Emma repeated and laughed again. God, this conversation was so ridiculous. "We don't 'have' anything, Neal. We had something, but that died a long time ago. You straight up kicked it to death when you slept with Tamara! But you know what, I'm glad you did! I'm glad we never got to marry, and I'm glad I went to Spain on my own instead, because it meant that I was single when I met Regina!" Emma took a shuddering breath. "And for your information, _buddy_... Regina is NOT a rebound thing, and she never will be. I know it might seem impossible for someone who's as full of yourself as you are, but me being with Regina has absolutely nothing to do with you. I'm with her because I love her! So fucking much! To be honest, I'm not even sure I knew what it felt like to really be in love before I met her!"

"That is not true!" Neal bellowed. "You loved me! We loved each other!"

"Yeah. Loved. Past tense," Emma sneered. "VERY past tense. I was more in love with the idea of marriage than actually marrying you, and you were too fucking busy banging Tamara to see it. Our marriage would have been a disaster, Neal. You have to realize that. And you have accept that it's over. It never would have worked between us! We wanted different things!"

"The hell are you talking about, Em? That is not-"

"Isn't it?" Emma interrupted and sighed. "You wanted to work with your dad in his shop and settle down here. I wanted to travel and see new horizons. Take my career further."

"You never told me that!"

"Yes, I did," Emma said, quelling another sigh. "I told you many times. You just either never listened to me, or gave a hundred reasons why it was better for us to stay in Storybrooke, and that being an event photographer was good enough. In the end I got sick of asking."

Neal breathed heavily. His gaze swimming slightly. The alcohol was clearly starting to kick in a second time. Second wave of drunken nonsense or something like that. "Emma, please," he croaked, trying his best to stay upright. "You can't leave, I don't want you to leave!"

But Emma was done. Well and truly done. "Just go home, Neal. Go home and sleep it out. If you're really lucky, you won't be able to remember any of this tomorrow." She sighed and muttered: "it's worse for me, though, because I'll be able to remember all of this bullshit..."

Neal didn't give up, though. If anything, he deserved a medal for being a fucking stubborn idiot. "We were in love!" he sneered.

"Yeah. Were." Emma said flatly and rolled her eyes. She was fed up. She was tired, she wanted to go to bed. But more importantly, she wanted this idiot out of yard before he woke up everyone in Storybrooke. Emma didn't need anyone to know about this. Storybrooke was a small town. People gossiped.

"We can be again!" Neal half-yelled.

Emma ended up snorted at THAT ridiculous claim. "Yeah, right, I don't think so, buddy," she said with a headshake. Then she turned around and began to walk away from him. She had hoped she could get rid of him on her own, but it was obvious that she needed assistance. She needed her dad to threaten him with throwing his ass in jail.

"I'll prove it to you!" Neal continued. His voice was definitely rising in volume.

Emma felt herself getting dangerously close to the point of snapping. The point where she screamed in his face. And possibly punched him in the nose. She had already done it once. She could do it again. In fact she would take great pleasure in landing one across his stupid face again. She whirled around on the spot. Neal was standing behind her, and Emma narrowed her eyes at him. If looks could kill, Neal would most certainly be dead right now! "what the hell are you even talking about?!" she spat. Now her voice was reaching a certain volume too.

Neal stumbled forward, suddenly he was in her face, and before Emma could do anything, even blink, he had grabbed her shoulders tightly, was digging his fingers into her skin, and was forcing a kiss onto her lips. Literally. Just slamming his mouth against hers. His mouth was very wet, and he stank of alcohol and old sweat. His clothes definitely had not been washed for days. And neither had he. Most definitely not. It made Emma feel positively sick and disgusted, and she immediately started to struggle to get him off of her. Nothing happened. For someone who was as stinking drunk as he was, Neal was pretty determined. And good at keep clutching onto her shoulders. He was trying to force her mouth open now. Trying to force her to respond to the kiss. He was panting now.

If there was something in this world Emma did not want, it was Neal's tongue in her mouth. Or his lips against hers. She thoroughly sized up the situation. Stopped struggling for a second. And then she did the only thing she could do. Raised her right knee. Took aim. And then jerked it forward as sharply and hard as she possibly could. She would never ever forget the sound it made when she kneed Neal in the balls. She could have sworn that something went 'crunch'. Good.

Neal immediately let go of her and fell to the ground, roaring like the wounded animal he was. He ended up sprawled on the lawn with one hand cupping his crotch and still yelling in pain.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?!" Emma screamed, thoroughly ignoring Neal's moans of distress. "Are you fucking insane or something?! Did you seriously think THAT would work?! Kissing me?! You stupid, fucking idiot!"

"Fuck, Emma, I think you've damaged something!" Neal groaned. He was still cupping his balls. And panting. But now for very different reasons.

"Good!" Emma spat, putting as much pressure as she possibly could on that one little word. "I'm fucking glad I did, you wanker! That's what you fucking deserve for this! You must be fucking insane if you for as much as a MINUTE thought that that was going to work, you motherfucking asshat-"

"What the HELL is going on here?!"

Now someone else was yelling. Emma turned around and came face to face with her father who had come out on the porch. Wielding his service weapon. Mary Margaret was standing behind him. With the baseball bat that normally resided under Emma's bed. The noise had woken them both, and Emma immediately felt guilty for bringing her mess into their yard. But maybe she shouldn't. She had done nothing wrong. Neal had. He was the one with the problem. And he was the one who had come to the yard.

"Emma, kiddo, what's goin on?" David asked, voice softer now, and lowering his weapon.

Mary Margaret did not. She kept her eyes fixed on Neal whilst grabbing the baseball bat tightly.

"I found Neal half-sitting in one of the bushes whilst drunk, so I went out here to get him to leave. We argued and he kissed me, so I kneed him the balls," Emma quickly summarized and pulled her hair away from her face as she spat on the ground. "And I'm sorry for spitting, but..." she didn't finish the sentence. She just spat on the ground one more time in an attempt to get any lingering feeling of Neal's tongue in her mouth out of her system.

David raised his weapon again, and his eyes were tiny cracks as he glared at Neal who was still laying on the ground. "You did WHAT to my daughter?!"

"Sheriff Swan, there's been a mistake," Neal groaned, still cupping his crotch and panting from the pain. "All of this is just one big mistake!"

"A mistake?!" Emma sneered. "You fucking kissed me, you stupid moron! You're right, that was definitely a mistake, but it's on you, buddy!"

"Sheriff Swan- David-"

"Shut up and stay where you are!" David said harshly and turned around. He stomped back inside the house.

Emma felt her mom putting a hand on her shoulder, and she reached back and patted Mary Margaret's hand once. She was okay. Just a little shook up. She hadn't expected Neal to go as far as this. But she was unharmed. She just needed to brush her teeth a lot.

Neal was still moaning on the ground. He had curled into some kind of fetal like position. There was definitely no risk of him doing a runner. Emma would be surprised if he was even capable of walking after what she did to him. That crunching sound it had made when her knee connected with his balls had sounded excruciatingly painful. Emma didn't feel the least ashamed over what she had done. Nor did she feel sorry for Neal. She was the one who had been attacked. All she had done was defending herself. And she had done a damn good job!

Emma heard a jingling sound behind her, and she turned around just in time to see her dad coming back outside. The gun was in his pocket now, and the jingling sound she had heard a second ago, was the sound of the silvery handcuffs jingling in his hand.

David walked over to Neal and shot him a look of pure disgust. "Get up!" he sneered.

"Can't..." Neal groaned.

Emma's father sighed deeply, as though he was the one in pain. Then he bent down and grabbed Neal by the collar of his shirt. He roughly pulled the other man to his feet, and Neal howled in pain at the shift. "Shit!" he cursed. "You gotta take me to the hospital or something!"

Ignoring Neal's pathetic attempts at getting out of the situation he had brought himself in, David gathered his former son-in-law's hands on his back. He slipped the handcuffs on him, and they made a rather satisfying sound when they clicked shut around his wrists. David too sounded extremely satisfied and smug when he announced: "Neal Cassidy-Gold, you're under arrest for trespassing, sexual assault, and-" he glanced at Mary Margaret's trampled flowerbed. "Destruction of personal property-"

"Fuck you!" Neal slurred and struggled against David. He ended up bumping his shoulder harshly against his former father-in-law's.

"David!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, fingers gripping the bat tightly when she saw how Neal shoved David.

"-For resisting the arrest and exercising violence against an officer," David dully continued, not the least bit bothered by Neal's shenanigans. "You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

"Fuck you!" Neal drunkenly bellowed. "Fuck all of you!" he glared at Emma. "You bitch! I'll fucking get you for this!"

Emma had to marvel at his ability to dig himself in deeper. It was incredible, really.

"Let's go, Romeo," David said gruffly. He roughly began to pull Neal towards the squad car.

Neal didn't exactly walk. More like hobbling. Limping. And groaning and moaning in pain with each step he took. David paid little attention to that, and his movements were nothing but unforgiving as he roughly shoved Neal into the back of the squad car and slammed the door shut behind him. Emma was sure she heard a few curse words as David climbed onto the driver's seat. David hardly ever cursed. Not unless he was seriously pissed. And pissed was exactly what he was right now. Even his driving reflected that. The tires squealed as he pulled out of the garage, and the blue lights atop the police car were flashing as he drove down the road. He meant business!

Emma kept watching until she couldn't see the blue lights anymore. Then she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Not that she was afraid. Just good old fashioned pissed off!

"Emma, honey, are you alright?!" Mary Margaret asked, now letting go of the baseball bat to cup Emma's face.

"Yeah, I'm good," Emma said. She wasn't completely 'good', but she didn't want to make her mom worry more than she already did.

"Did he touch you?!" Mary Margaret continued, grasping Emma's wrists and clearly searching for signs of violence.

"No," Emma said. "Not really. He just... kissed me." even saying it out loud made her insides curl and nausea rise in her body.

"And that is more than enough damage!" her mom snapped and pulled Emma in for a hug. "Come here!"

"Mom, I'm okay," Emma assured as she hugged her mom back. "Really, I am. I gave him what he deserved."

"You did, and I'm proud of you. And rest assure that your father is too." Mary Margaret held Emma close for a moment before releasing her and saying: "come, let's go inside. I'll make us some cocoa with cinnamon. I think we both could need that!"

"That sounds good, but there's just one thing I need to do first," Emma said and cringed slightly. Despite spitting moments ago, her mouth still felt absolutely foul. She could taste Neal. Could feel his wet mouth against hers. His foul, stinking breath. His tongue in her mouth. It made her feel all kinds of sick and nauseous, and she was relieved her dad had shown up when he did. Not because Emma had been afraid of Neal, but because she wasn't sure how she would have avoided kicking Neal in the crotch multiple times.

Once upstairs in the bathroom, Emma brushed her teeth. And brushed her teeth. Until they were sparkling. Until her mouth foamed and her gums hurt. It helped. Ish. The foul taste gradually disappeared, but the feeling of Neal kissing her, his tongue in her mouth lingered.

"Urgh," Emma muttered as she spat in the sink again for good measurement. That absolute dickhead! Emma was more angry than she was upset about the unwanted kiss. Maybe the upset reaction would come later, but for now, she was so pissed off she could have legged it to the police station and given Neal a few solid whacks. And a few kicks in the crotch.

When it got to the point where she couldn't brush her teeth without her gums bleeding, Emma concluded her visit to the bathroom and went back downstairs.

Her mom was in the kitchen. She had slipped a flower patterned bathroom over her pajamas and was standing in front of the stove, gently stirring something in a pot. She looked over her shoulder and smiled when her daughter came into the room. "Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

Emma shrugged. "Okay. I guess. Shocked. I had no idea Neal would go to that kind of extremes..."

"None of us had," Mary Margaret said as she carefully poured the hot chocolate into two mugs. "Otherwise your father would have arrested him a hell of a lot sooner!"

Emma chuckled a little. It wasn't often her mom cursed. "Yeah."

"There we go," Mary Margaret said as she placed the mug of cocoa in front of Emma. "Be careful. It's very hot. Do you want something to eat as well? Some toast? Or maybe something sweet? I could make you a-"

"Mom," Emma gently interrupted and put a hand over her mom's. "I'm okay."

"No, you're not!" Mary Margaret said almost testily. "You're not okay, Emma! Because what happened to you was not okay! I'm your mother, I'm supposed to protect you from bad things! That rule still applies even though you're all grown up and knows how to defend yourself. And I couldn't protect you from this!"

"It's not your fault, mom," Emma said firmly. "The only one to blame for this is Neal. That dickhead."

For once, Mary Margaret didn't scold Emma for the crass language. She just raised her mug of cocoa. "I'll drink to that."

"Cheers," Emma chuckled as she lifted her own mug. The first sip of cocoa felt like a healing balm trickling down her throat. She felt a little bit better. Sitting with her mom and drinking cocoa in the middle of the night reminded her of when she was a little girl who had woken up from a nightmare, and the nostalgic feeling was like a warm blanket being draped around her shoulders. She would be okay. She was certain she would. As long as she never saw Neal again...

It took as long as two hours and several mugs of cocoa before David made his return. He came into the kitchen wearing his jacket over his pajama bottoms, looking like he had aged twenty years in the two hours he had been gone. "My god, what a night!" he exclaimed as he sat down heavily on one of the kitchen chairs. He rubbed his face tiredly. But even though he looked tired, he also looked murderous, and his voice was all venom when he hissed: "Neal is not getting away with this!"

"What happened?" Emma asked. She had been dying to ask that question ever since her dad took Neal away.

"Well, for starters, I had to take the bastard to the hospital for a checkup," David said darkly.

"Oh my god!" Emma said and cupped her mouth. "Did I damage something? Is he gonna press charge?!"

"No," David said tightly. "Apart from some superficial bruising in the..." he gestured vaguely. "Delicate areas, Neal is unharmed. He'll have to be careful when moving around for a week or so, but he's fine. Only his pride took a serious blow."

Emma tried not to feel too proud of herself. "And where is he now?"

"He's in the cell," David said smugly and rubbed his hands together. "And he's going to stay there until we can decide what kind of conviction, he'll get for this."

"Conviction?" Emma's eyebrows rose. "Seriously? Can you actually build a case against him? For kissing me?"

"Damn right we can!" David said and took a large swig of the cocoa Mary Margaret had served for him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Because it turns out we have a witness!"

"We do? Who?"

"Eugenia Lucas," David said. "She had been doing inventory at the diner until late and was on her way home when she heard raised voices from our yard. She stopped to see what it was about, and she saw you and Neal argue. She was about to step in when your mother and I came into the yard." He took another swig of the cocoa. "She called me while I was driving to the station with Neal and asked if she could come down to the station immediately. She was there five minutes later and could describe everything in detail. The argument between you and Neal. What he did to you, and how you kneed him in the..." he cleared his throat. "Well, Eugenia made a point of telling me that she had witnessed Neal assaulting you. I took her statement, and she's more than willing to repeat it in court if necessary."

"Wow," Emma said simply.

David shook his head. "Of course Robert Gold showed up at the station and tried to buy himself out of the pickle. It was very satisfying to tell him that his money would be no good this time."

Emma chuckled, but was still a bit confused. "I don't get it," she admitted. "How can Neal be facing anything but a fine and a warning for this?"

"He can because prior to coming to our house, he had been at the Rabbit Hole," David said. "Where he got into a brawl with Keith Nottingham. According to Neal, Nottingham 'provoked' him and had to be 'punished' for it. It's a bit unclear what really happened, but Nottingham is currently in the hospital where he's been treated for superficial wounds to the face and back of his head made with a glass bottle."

"Holy shit! That explains why his knuckles were all fucked up"" Emma exclaimed. Neal had really snapped this time!

"That's one count of assault, one count of sexual assault, destruction of personal property, trespassing, resisting arrest, violence against an officer and threats made," David listed. "Rest assure Neal is in a LOT of trouble!"

"Yeah, I'm starting to realize that, but-" Emma frowned. "Threats? What threats? He said, 'fuck you', but I don't think that counts as a threat, dad."

"You're right, it does not," David agreed. "But he made certain threats at the station. Threats that were overheard by myself and several other officers."

"What did he say?" Emma asked.

"That does not matter. The point is that he said it, that it's on the video camera, and that it will be included in the official report."

"Dad, I appreciate that you're trying to protect me," Emma said softly, now patting her dad's hand. "But I'm a big girl. I can handle hearing what Neal said about me." she was actually just looking for more excuses to hate Neal even more.

"The threats weren't directed at you, sweetie," David said just as softly and gave Emma's had a pat in return.

Emma's heart immediately started to thump harshly in her chest. Red-hot anger flooded her body. Her father didn't have to say more. She could guess the rest. "He was threatening Regina, wasn't he?"

"Emma-"

"Wasn't. He?!"

"He was," David confirmed tightly. "Apparently, he's under the impression that Regina 'stole' you from him, and he was angry about that and chose to express his anger in a most crass manner. And before you ask, no, I am not going to repeat what he said about her. Just know that he's not getting away with this. Assaulting Mr. Nottingham and you and then proceeding to threaten my daughter-in-law WILL land him with more than a fine and a warning!"

Despite feeling utterly pissed off because of the threats Neal had made against Regina, Emma still smiled at her father. "You called her your daughter-in-law."

"Well..." David chuckled. "Isn't that what she is?"

Emma could only smile and nod. That was most certainly what Regina was. And the more they talked about her, the more Emma thought about her, she realized that she needed to hear Regina's voice. She had to tell her girlfriend about this. She knew that Regina of course would become upset, but she couldn't just keep this information from Regina. She would find out somehow, and she would be devastated if she found out Emma purposefully had kept it from her.

Emma glanced at her watch. It was 01:31 in the morning. Meaning that it was 07:31 in Madrid. Pretty early. Regina always slept in after she'd had a long shift. Emma knew that, and she normally always made a point of calling Regina after ten o'clock, but tonight she couldn't wait. She had to talk to her right now. She would just have to live with the fact that she had robbed a pregnant woman of sleeping in.

She emptied her mug of cocoa, rose from her seat and announced: "I'm going upstairs to call Regina."

"You do that, sweetie," Mary Margaret smiled. "If you need anything, we're right here, okay?"

"I know. Thanks, guys," Emma replied and returned the smile. "But I'll be okay. I just need to talk to Regina. And I'm glad Neal is behind bars."

"You're not the only one!" David sneered. "If I hadn't been a cop, I would have resolved to a very different kind of punish-"

"David!" Mary Margaret scolded. "Neal is behind bars. A case is being built against him as we speak. That's all that matters now."

"You're right," David deflated. "Of course."

Emma hid her grin as she turned around and walked upstairs. Trust her mom to calm her dad. That's how it had always been with those two. Her mom was the calming effect her dad needed when he felt upset. And that was exactly how Emma felt about Regina now. She already knew that she would feel so much better once she heard Regina's sweet voice. All morning raspy and sexy. Maybe she could even convince Regina to speak a little Spanish. That too had an amazing effect on Emma. But not exactly a calming one...

Emma chuckled to herself as she made it up the stairs to her room. She exhaled a long breath it felt like she had been holding ever since spotting Neal outside. That idiot. To think that he had actually had the audacity to kiss her! Fucking kiss her! But he hadn't walked away unscathed. Emma didn't feel an ounce of guilt over what she had done. This was the first time she had kneed anyone in the balls, but if she really had managed to bruise Neal, she had done one hell of a good job. Being the daughter of a sheriff paid off. Being forced to take self-defense lessons at fifteen had paid off. Emma reminded herself to thank her dad for it later. She chuckled again. She would

never forget the sight of her parents standing on the porch with weapons raised and ready to fight.

She flopped back on the bed and grabbed her phone. Found Regina's number on speed dial and brought the phone up to her ear. Waited patiently while listening to the dialing tone. Maybe Regina had muted her phone while she slept. That was actually very possible. Emma felt a little bad for calling her girlfriend so early, but she really needed to talk to Regina. If Regina didn't pick up, she would leave a message on her voicemail.

"_Hola_?"

Emma smiled when she heard the familiar voice in the other end. So Regina was in fact awake. "Hey, _señorita_," she said half-jokingly. "Did I wake you?"

"No-no, not at all," Regina said quickly. "Hi, _preciosa_!"

"Hey," Emma said again. "Are you sure you're okay? You sound all out of breath." That was true. Regina really did sound exceptionally breathless. Maybe she had been jolted from her sleep by the ringing phone. Maybe she had been sleeping really heavily or something.

"I'm fine," Regina said quickly, and Emma heard some shuffling in the other end. "Well, now I'm worried because you're calling me at... _Dios_, it's the middle of the night in Storybrooke, Emma! What's going on?!"

"Well..." Emma felt bad. Maybe she shouldn't tell Regina. She already sounded alert. And she was pregnant. Emma couldn't upset her like this. But it was too late.

"_¿Qué?_" Regina pressed. "What's going on, _querida_? Did something happen to you? Your mom? Your dad?"

"Neal showed up in the garden a couple of hours ago," Emma said quickly. Might as well just do it. Get it over with and rip off the band-aid before Regina got all worried and worked up.

"Okay?" Regina said, and Emma heard more shuffling. "Go on?"

"He was at the diner when my parents and I were out celebrating my future move to California, and he overheard us talking about it," Emma quickly summed up. "He was really drunk when he showed up, and he basically served me a lot of bullshit on how we belonged together and that he 'loves' me..."

"_Dios_," Regina sighed in the other end. "Are you alright?"

"I will be," Emma said. "But, uhh... the thing is..." she licked her lips. "Words were exchanged between Neal and I. Crass words. We actually argued. I tried to get him to realize that I had moved on, he tried to get me back, and bla-bla-bla, but anyway, when I was about to walk away from the situation, he, uhh... he kissed me." god, saying it out loud made her feel all nauseous. Her skin crawled and her mouth felt foul all over again.

Silence in the other end.

"Regina?" Emma asked softly. "Honey, are you still there?"

More silence.

"Regina?" Emma called again. Now she was getting a bit worried. Maybe she should have been more clear. "Obviously, I did NOT want him to kiss me! Not at all! He literally caught by surprise, but when I realized what was happening, I kneed him right in the balls! I swear to god I was not-"

"_¿Lo dice en serio?! ¡Voy a matarlo! Ese imbécil!__¡Ese estúpido y jodido gilipollas! ¡Lo juro, iré a Maine y patearé su trasero! Si alguna vez lo vuelvo a ver, ¡le arrancaré la estúpida cabeza! __¡Ese estúpido bastardo!__ Jodidamente mataré ese jodido idiota!_"

Emma literally had to move the phone slightly away from her ear. As it turned out, she didn't even need to ask Regina to speak Spanish. Regina was doing that oh, so freely. Emma had absolutely no idea what her girlfriend was saying, but she was fairly certain that Regina was in the middle of pouring shit over Neal's miserable head. In Spanish. Which was kinda beautiful, really.

"_Al diablo con él!_" Regina sneered. She was so far from done. "_¡¿Qué demonios está mal con él?! ¡Ya he abofeteado a un idiota! ¡Estaré encantado de hacerlo de nuevo! ¡Y otra vez!_"

"Okay, breathe," Emma said, gently but firmly cutting Regina's stream of Spanish words off. "You can't upset yourself like that, beautiful girl. It's not good for you or the baby."

"_Estoy extremadamente tranquila!_"

Emma laughed softly. "I didn't understand that. Actually, I haven't been able to understand a word you've said for the past ten seconds..."

"Just as well," Regina huffed, switching to English. "All of it would have made my dad scold me, I'm sure."

Emma chortled quietly.

"It's not funny, Emma!" Regina insisted. "He kissed you! That's not even remotely funny!"

"You're right, it's not," Emma agreed. "But as I said, I kneed him in the balls..."

Now Regina was the one who laughed. "_¡Estoy tan orgulloso de ti!_"

"Huh?"

"I'm proud of you," the younger woman quickly translated. "So proud of you! Where is that idiot now?!"

"At the station," Emma said smugly. "My parents were woken up because of all the yelling. My dad cuffed him, charged him and shoved his ass into a squad car." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Neal's in a lot of trouble. Apparently, he sent the owner of the Rabbit Hole to the hospital before showing up in my garden."

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah. He's so not getting away with this," Emma said darkly. "They'll build a case against him for assault. Ruby's grandma saw what happened. She saw Neal kiss me and was about to come help me when I kneed him in the balls. My dad was pretty ecstatic about there being a witness. Builds a stronger case against him to hear it from someone else. But it would never be word against word. We've got a security camera installed. And so does the Rabbit Hole. Neal is knee-deep in shit!"

"Good!" Regina said darkly. "That fucking asshole!"

Emma chuckled again. "Yeah, you got that right."

"Are you okay, _querida_? Truly?"

"Feelin' better now that I'm hearing your voice. Of course, a hug would have been really awesome, but this is really, really good too," Emma smiled.

"We can talk for as long as you like, _querida_. I'm right here," Regina assured.

"I like the sound of that," Emma said softly. "How are YOU feeling?"

"Me?" Regina chuckled dryly. "_Querida,_ that is not what we're talking about right now..."

"You're just as important," Emma said firmly. "So, how are you feeling? Okay?"

"_Sí-sí_, I'm fine," Regina assured. "Don't you worry."

"Yeah, right." Emma snorted. "I'm always worried about you. And I feel guilty for waking you."

"You didn't wake me."

"Are you sure?" Emma pressed. "You were all out of breath when you picked up. Are you sure I didn't jolt you awake or something?"

"Mhmm. Absolutely," Regina said lightly. Too lightly. Emma immediately caught a whiff of something in her voice. Something that needed to be investigated.

"Are you absolutely sure you weren't asleep?" she asked again.

"Yes, Em-ma. I'm sure."

"Really? You were already awake?"

"_Sí_."

"It's not like you to be awake so early," Emma wondered out loud. "Were you hungry or something?" she smiled to herself. She found the idea of a ruffled, sleepy Regina waking up to grab a snack adorable."

"No. I'm not hungry yet," Regina said.

"What are you doing then? Watching crappy television?" Regina often did that in the morning.

"N-no. I'm still in bed."

"So I DID wake you!" Emma exclaimed. "You were lying to spare my feelings, weren't you? I knew it!"

"Emma, I was awake already," Regina said strained. "I just haven't gotten out of bed yet."

That could have been a very sufficient answer if it hadn't been for how well Emma knew her girlfriend. "But it's so early," she said again. "You're never awake this early! Something has to be going on, beautiful girl. What aren't you telling me?"

"I was awake because I was in the middle of... exercising," Regina said a bit tightly.

"Exercising?" Emma echoed and frowned at the odd direction this conversation had taken. "What kind of exercise was that even?"

Regina sighed deeply. "The kind of exercise that leaves you breathless."

Oh. Ohhh! Certain things immediately clicked in Emma's head. Regina's breathlessness. The disorientated way she had said 'hola'. The roughness in her voice. Emma had interrupted her right in the middle of some 'one-on-one time'. It was completely obvious exactly what Regina had been doing, and yet Emma couldn't resist asking: "you mean that you were... having a little morning fun?"

"Yes," Regina said a tad snippily and sighed deeply as though she was suffering. "I'm pregnant and horny. What else is new?"

Emma chuckled. Regina sounded both irritated and like she had been caught doing something naughty. It was all very sexy. Emma's next brilliant question more than reflected that: "are you naked?"

Regina sighed again. "Yes, Emma. I'm naked."

"God damn!" Neal forcing a kiss onto her lips was long forgotten now. The only thing Emma could think about was her girlfriend. And the fact that said girlfriend was naked. And horny.

Regina chuckled dryly in the other end.

"Did you cum?" Emma asked unabashedly and grinned as she licked her lips. This was an interesting conversation.

"Emma Swan!" Regina scolded.

"What? I'm your girlfriend," Emma reminded her. "I can ask those kind of question, can't I?"

Regina mumbled something vaguely.

"Did you?" Emma asked sweetly.

"No," Regina said bitterly. "The phone call threw me off."

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry," Emma said. And she actually was sorry. She had a robbed a pregnant woman on her pleasure.

"No matter," Regina chuckled dryly. "You are more important. Are you certain you're okay, _mi amor_?"

"I am," Emma said quickly. "Can I just ask one more thing?"

"I suspect you will whether I'll say yes or not."

Emma chuckled at Regina's attitude and then asked her question: "is this a regular morning thing now? You waking up early to do things to yourself that makes me wanna buy a plane ticket right now?"

Regina almost made a giggling sound. "Well... I have been waking up feeling in a particular mood for the past four days, and I figured instead of torturing myself, I'd get it out the way as soon as I woke up. Start my day with a clear head and... and satisfied."

"Damn," Emma said again and felt a flush creep up her neck. "I really hope that's a thing when you come here. I can't wait for you to get here so I can help you out. No more doing it yourself."

"Emma! Your parents live there too!" Regina pointed out and sounded adorably scandalized.

"Well..." Emma chuckled and lowered her voice. "We'll just have to be really quiet, won't we?"

"_Eres traviesa, Señorita Swan_."

"You know it," Emma said and felt a pleasant tingle down her spine.

"Stop turning me on," Regina scolded. "We were actually talking about something serious."

"We were?"

"_Querida_."

"Oh, right. My idiot ex-boyfriend. Yeah. But weren't we done talking about him?"

"I don't know about that," Regina said darkly. "I could think of a few more things I'd like to say about him."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be then?"

"_Odio a ese maldito bastardo_. _¡Ese idiota besó a mi novia! Si alguna vez lo vuelvo a ver, ¡también lo patearé en la entrepierna!_"

"And now I'M getting turned on," Emma said, and that wasn't a joke. "I only understood 'bastardo' and 'idiota', but damn, I love when you speak Spanish!"

"I didn't even get this pissed at Robin," Regina sneered.

"I did," Emma said darkly. "Now there's a real _bastardo_."

"Neal's a bigger _bastardo_!" Regina said firmly. "He kissed you!"

"Uhhh... honey, Robin got you pregnant," Emma gently pointed out.

"_Sí_, but not deliberately. At least I don't think so. No, that would be fucked up. But Neal knew exactly what he was doing when he was kissing you. That makes him the bigger _bastardo_!"

"Can't we just agree that they're both _pendejos_?" Emma suggested.

"_Sí_, that's a great idea, _querida_."

"And let's talk about something else, yeah?" Emma continued and sat up in bed. "Like... the fact that you're naked."

Regina chuckled in the other end. "Or we could talk about how late it is in Storybrooke and how you should be asleep instead of talking to me?"

"No-no, I'd much rather talk about your nakedness, beautiful girl..."

Regina laughed sweetly. And when she spoke again, her voice was soft and slightly raspy. She was clearly open to talk more about that particular subject...

**To Be Continued...**

**(****A/N: **Well, I think it's safe to say that this marks the end of Neal's involvement in this story xD now we'll turn our gaze elsewhere. First towards a small timejump in which our favorite ladies will reunite at last!**)**

Spanish translations:

Hola= Hello.

¿Qué?= What?

Dios= God.

¿Lo dice en serio?!= Are you serious?!

¡Voy a matarlo!= I'm going to kill him!

Ese imbécil!= That asshole!

¡Ese estúpido y jodido gilipollas!= That stupid fucking asshole!

¡Lo juro, iré a Maine y patearé su trasero!= I swear, I'll go to Maine and kick his ass!

Si alguna vez lo vuelvo a ver, ¡le arrancaré la estúpida cabeza!= If I ever see him again, I'll rip his stupid head off!

¡Ese estúpido bastardo!= That stupid bastard!

Jodidamente mataré ese jodido idiota!= I'll fucking kill that fucking idiot!

Al diablo con él!= To hell with him!

¡¿Qué demonios está mal con él?!= What the hell is wrong with him?!

Ya he abofeteado a un idiota! ¡Estaré encantado de hacerlo de nuevo! ¡Y otra vez!"= I've already slapped an idiot! I will be happy to do it again! And again!"

Estoy extremadamente tranquila!= I am extremely calm!

Odio a ese maldito bastardo. ¡Ese idiota besó a mi novia! Si alguna vez lo vuelvo a ver, ¡también lo patearé en la entrepierna!= I hate that damn bastard. That idiot kissed my girlfriend! If I ever see him again, I'll kick him in the crotch too!

Eres traviesa, Señorita Swan= You're naughty, Miss Swan.


	39. Chapter 39

Emma was literally tripping with excitement and felt like somewhat of a fool as she stood there and stretched her neck like a giraffe.

But the hell with it, she was allowed to be excited. Because she was in Boston Airport. The four weeks were finally up, and in a few minutes, Regina would come through the doors. Emma couldn't wait to see her girlfriend again. It felt like it had been forever since she last saw Regina. So much stuff had happened since the last time. The arrestation of Neal being the major thing of course. There had been a case. An actual case. Emma had witnessed against him. So had Granny and Keith Nottingham. Emma had told the judge pretty much everything. The electronic harassment Neal had practiced on her, the roses left on her doorstep, the verbal harassment at the diner. She had described how he had kissed her and how she had used self-defense to get him off of her. Her explanation had matched the one Eugenia Lucas gave. She had described what had been said and when. How Neal had acted threateningly David had witnessed too. And he had been forced to give a description of the threats Neal had made towards Regina. And those were truly horrible comments. Some of them had been about her body. Others about her pregnancy. But most of them had been about what Neal wanted to do to her when he saw her again. Emma's father had made a point of stressing out that 'the young lady in question' was coming to Storybrooke in only a few weeks, and that he wanted his town to be a safe place for everyone who visited.

Threatening a young pregnant woman hadn't flown well with the judge. Neither had the attack on Nottingham and following sexual assault on Emma. Neal had been sentenced to three months behind bars. Maybe three months wasn't a lot, but the punishment had other consequences for Neal. Rumor had it that Robert Gold was furious at his son. It was revealed that Neal's father had planned on challenging Mary Margaret for the mayoral position during the next election, but with Neal's incarceration, Robert was beat before the campaign had even started. Nobody wanted to vote for a corrupt man who had tried to buy his son out of the punishment. No one had seen the Gold's since Neal was sentenced, and that suited Emma just fine. With Neal in prison, she could finally start looking ahead instead of looking back. She had started to look at beach houses more 'seriously', and she was looking forward to having Regina help her with the process.

She just looked forward to seeing Regina again. Period. The last four weeks had been endless. Terrible torture. Emma felt like she had missed out on so much pregnancy stuff. But not kicking. Blueberry still hadn't kicked, and even though Emma probably wouldn't be able to feel it quite yet, she was definitely looking forward to seeing the look on Regina's face when it happened. Emma wondered what it would feel like for Regina.

Emma hadn't told Regina about the threats Neal had made. Nor was she going to. Regina had been through enough shit. She didn't need to get freaked out about this as well. And plus, Neal had been stinking drunk when making those ridiculous threats. All of it had just been drunken nonsense. There really was no reason to upset Regina. Emma stretched her neck again. Any moment now. God, she couldn't wait to hug Regina again! Four weeks were a fucking lifetime. And especially when your girlfriend was pregnant. How much would Regina have changed by now? From sixteen weeks pregnant to twenty weeks pregnant was a massive leap, and even though Emma had seen her belly on skype plenty of times, she doubted it could beat the real deal. Regina in the flesh. Touching her. Holding her. And preferably never letting go again. Emma knew that wasn't possible as of right now, but she was allowed to dream, right?

She shifted impatiently on her feet. Come on, Regina! Come on! The plane wasn't supposed to be delayed. Emma knew this because she had checked the arrival time five billion times since last night. Just to make sure that she had gotten it right. She had. The plane was supposed to have landed twenty minutes ago, so where we all the passengers, huh?! Emma sighed and scolded herself. She knew that she was being a bit of a baby, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to see Regina right now, damnit! She was seriously willing to slay the next person who called long distance relationships romantic. It was not. It was fucking torture, being separated from the person you loved. Anyone who thought differently had never been in a long distance relationship before! Emma huffed. If Regina didn't appear soon, Emma would have no choice but to stomp through the gate and find her herself. She chuckled a bit as she imagined herself actually doing that. She would definitely be kicked out if she tried.

Her cellphone chimed and Emma checked the message. It was from Ruby. '**Have you found your little Spanish beauty yet?**'.

The answer to that was no. Emma had definitely not found her 'little Spanish beauty' yet. She chuckled softly to herself once more. Regina actually was pretty tiny. At least when she wasn't wearing heels. But while she was small, she was definitely still mighty. Emma almost shivered when she remembered how Regina had cussed out Neal in Spanish that night. Now that had been awfully sexy, and yeah, the conversation had definitely taken a turn once they had gotten the serious stuff out of the way. Emma had 'made up' for interrupting a pregnant woman during her 'self-care routine', and Regina had been wonderfully breathless and a bit dopey afterwards. She had forgotten how to speak English and had answered Emma in Spanish only until Emma had laughed and sweetly teased her girlfriend about the orgasm stealing her ability to speak English. Yeah, that had been a great night.

And this would be great too, Emma knew that. She was having her girlfriend over. For an entire week, Regina would be staying with her. Emma couldn't wait to catch up and talk and laugh and kiss Regina silly. And maybe, possibly doing other things too. Emma's smile grew a bit more wicked. Oh yes, she definitely had pretty good ideas as to what she and Regina could do at night instead of sleeping. And most of those ideas would undoubtedly make Regina to '_querida!_' and then scold her in Spanish. Emma had missed that too a lot. Hearing Regina grumble in Spanish.

If only Regina would hurry up and get here. Emma did an impatient little dance as she glanced around in search of her girlfriend. Waiting these last few minutes was almost unbearable. She wanted to see Regina now, damnit. Wanted to hug her. Kiss her. And see how much her belly had changed since the last time. Regina was twenty weeks along now, and Emma almost couldn't believe it. According to the helpful little app Emma still was receiving notifications from, the baby was the size of a banana now. Weighing about 10.2 ounces and measuring 6.5 inches from crown to rump. Blueberry was not just a tiny little blob on a screen or a slight curve on Regina's stomach. From now on, Blueberry would be very, very visible.

According to the app, Regina was 'supposed' to suffer from leg cramps this week. Emma was more than willing to help out with some massage if that was required. Heartburn was another symptom, and Emma had done her reading about that too. Not too much spicy food. That would only make things worse. Then there was slight breathlessness and light swelling in the feet. Emma would remind Regina to put her feet up as much as she possibly could. And then there was Emma's favorite symptom of the week: high libido. Oh yes, according to the app, Regina's sex drive should be in full force, and knowing Regina's early morning activities in bed, Emma was very impressed with how spot on that little app was. Regina's sex drive was indeed in full force. Emma knew she had been frustrated for the past four weeks, and she couldn't wait to gallantly help her horny, pregnant girlfriend out. She grinned to herself. No more frustration. No more distance. At least not for a week. And no more Neal to bother or harass them. That idiot finally got what he deserved, thank god. With him out of her life, Emma could slowly but steadily start planning her move away from Storybrooke. The further she got away from him, the better. To think that that idiot had actually thought he could make her change her mind by kissing her! The hell kind of drugs was he even on?!

But Neal wasn't the reason she wanted to leave, of course he wasn't. This wasn't about Neal. This was about her, searching for new possibilities in California. All on her own. She was leaving the nest and all that. 3.235,7 miles away from Maine and Storybrooke and everything and everyone she knew. She would literally be on her own. No more popping round to the diner to catch up with her friends. Her parents would no longer be right around the corner if she needed them. Now she would have to fend for herself. Do things herself. Be a 'proper' adult and all that.

The thought still equally excited and terrified her. Good thing she wasn't moving tomorrow. She wasn't sure she would have been able to handle _that_. No, this slow planning was much, much better. And more sensible. She could already see herself and Regina check out different beach houses, pick out the best and then comment on it. Emma was looking forward to that. She was looking forward to making unrealistic plans for the future with Regina. A small chuckle escaped her as she allowed herself to get lost in the idea of a future in which she and Regina lived together in a cozy beach house on a beautiful beach. That wasn't unrealistic. That could actually happen someday. Regina had said so herself. Someday in the future, they could very well be living together. Emma so wanted that. More than anything. And it was pretty wonderful to imagine. To think that there someday would be a point where there wouldn't be an ocean between them anymore. One day, she would get the pleasure of waking up next to Regina every single day. No more saying goodbye. No more Skype calls. Just the two of them together.

But of course Emma was grateful for whatever amount of time she and Regina got to spend together. This week included. Two weeks would obviously have been better, but one week was great too. And maybe, just maybe, Emma would actually fly back to Spain with Regina. Just like the last time. Only this time minus any Cora-incidents. They'd had such a great time the last time, so yeah, Emma definitely wanted to go back to Spain with her girlfriend. If said girlfriend weren't too busy of course. Regina had had some late night shifts during the past weeks, and even though Emma didn't want her pregnant girlfriend to overdo it, she was of course was happy that Regina was earning money. Emma knew that Regina had been worried about her money situation, but it sure looked like everything was going well for her, and Emma was happy. She didn't want Regina to be worried about anything. She wanted her second and third trimester to be as calm and peaceful as possible. Her first trimester had been full of concerns and doubts and obstacles. Now it was Emma's simple duty to ensure that the rest of Regina's pregnancy would be going as smoothly as possible. No more concerns and worries. No matter what, this was a special time for Regina, and Emma wanted her to enjoy it as much as she possibly could. And should some kind of obstacle present itself, well, then Emma would simply have to make it go away. One way or the other.

Emma grumbled a little to herself. It really wasn't fair that life had thrown so much shit at Regina lately. She didn't deserve that. All of them, Cora and Robin and Marian could go straight to hell for all Emma cared. They were idiots belonging in the same category as Neal and his stupid parents did.

"_Querida_!"

Emma was immediately pulled out of her thoughts. She hastily looked up, and a smile blossomed on her lips at what she saw. Regina was quickly coming towards her, dragging her suitcase behind her and wearing a long sleeved, rust colored wrap dress with her usual denim jacket over it. She looked very autumnal. Her dark hair had been braided before rolled into a bun. She looked very 'grownup' all the sudden, maybe it was because of the hair or the fact that her dress lacked its usual flower pattern. But it wasn't her beauty that made Emma grin like an idiot. It was the fact that Regina carried herself just a little bit differently from the last time. She was... Well, she was _WADDLING_. Very, very slightly, but still noticeable from the last time. Like a right little penguin. Emma chuckled and her breath caught in her throat when she looked at the bump on Regina's stomach. No. Regina's stomach WAS the bump. Holy shit. Now there was absolutely no doubt that Regina was pregnant. And she looked stunning. Radiant. Glowing. Her cheeks had this rosy tint, and her eyes were sparkling with joy.

"Hi!" Emma laughed and flailed her arms like a mad person as Regina came closer.

Regina didn't waste anytime with hello's and how do you do's. She simply let go of her suitcase and more or less threw herself into Emma's arms.

Emma stumbled a little bit but quickly regained balance. And her grip on Regina. God forbid she should end up dropping her pregnant girlfriend! Fortunately enough, that didn't happen. Instead Emma tightened her grip and ended up lifting Regina, so her feet were dangling above the floor for a moment. Hugging Regina felt a bit different now. She was all bump. All pregnant belly in the way. Emma felt like she was hugging not one but two people right now, and it made her feel absolutely soft and mushy.

"_Dios mío, te he extrañado mucho!_" Regina said wetly against the crook of Emma's neck. She sounded very emotional, and Emma doubted that this 'just' was another case of hormones, because she too felt pretty emotional. These had been four long, long weeks!

"I've missed you too, beautiful girl," she said and jokingly spun Regina around.

Regina let out a little laugh and a: "_¡Bésame, maldita sea!_"

And of course Emma had absolutely no problem with doing that. She gently sat Regina on her feet and then kissed her. One hand cupping Regina's cheek and the other resting firmly against the small of Regina's back.

Regina threw her arms around Emma's neck to bring them closer, and Emma chuckled softly into the kiss because she could feel the bump being pressed into her own stomach. Regina had expanded beautifully since the last time, and Emma found it to be very, very sexy. Regina rocked the whole pregnant thing.

After a moment, Emma gently broke the kiss and took a step backwards so she could take another look at Regina.

Regina pouted a little. She was clearly not ready to stop kissing Emma, but this was an airport after all. Emma would prefer a little more privacy when kissing her girlfriend. Right now, said girlfriend was licking her lips nervously whilst smoothening her dress over the prominent bump.

"You look so stunning," Emma beamed.

Regina smiled. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Emma took her in her arms again. Didn't kiss her. Just held her close. Breathed in the scent of her flowery perfume.

Regina made a little humming sound. "It's good to be back."

"It's good to HAVE you back. Are you ready to drive back to Storybrooke?"

"_Sí_."

"Awesome. My mom is waiting with lunch," Emma chuckled. That was true. Mary Margaret had indeed said that she would make 'a special lunch' for Regina.

"That sounds nice," Regina said briskly, bending down to pick up her suitcase, but of course Emma beat her to it.

"Nope," the blonde said simply. "You are officially no longer allowed to bend down. At all."

"Right then," Regina rolled her eyes but did not protest, and Emma took Regina's hand in her own free one. She wasn't planning on letting go of Regina's hand for the next week. She hoped that Regina didn't mind that. And she had a feeling that Regina wouldn't.

Together they left the airport. Emma purposefully hovered back a little so she could look at Regina, and yep, there was that waddle again. Emma had to swallow back a grin. And an 'aww'. The slight penguin-esque walk Regina had adopted was positively adorable. The cutest freaking thing Emma had ever seen.

"You coming, _querida_?" Regina asked over her shoulder.

"Yep," Emma said quickly and pulled herself together. "Coming." Maybe Regina wasn't aware that she was waddling, and Emma didn't want to end up making her feel self-conscious or something. So she hastily caught up with Regina and took her hand again as they walked towards the exit. Emma couldn't have been happier. The sun was shining. It was a beautiful day for once. She had her girlfriend right here. What could possibly be better?

Emma grinned, and Regina glanced questioningly at her, but Emma offered no explanation.

They made it outside in the crisp, autumn sunshine. Regina immediately began fawning when she saw Emma's adorable little yellow bug. "Oh, I've missed your car, _querida_!" she said.

"The car has definitely missed you too," Emma quipped as she opened the boot of the car and shoved Regina's suitcase inside. She closed the boot again with a little click.

Regina chuckled at the bad joke and even more when Emma opened the door to the passenger seat with a: "your carriage awaits, Milady."

"Why thank you," Regina said and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Emma's cheek before ducking inside the car.

Emma went round the car and opened the door to the driver's side. She elegantly wiggled onto the seat, slammed the door and buckled her seatbelt.

Regina did the same. And huffed.

"Tight squeeze?" Emma guessed and tried not to smile at the way the seatbelt was being stretched out over Regina's baby bump.

"Something like that. Woops. There we go. _¡Lo hice!_" Regina said triumphantly and grinned broadly when she managed to buckle the seatbelt over her bump.

"Awesome," Emma chuckled. "Then we're all good to go!" she twisted the key in the engine, and the car came alive with its usual roar.

"I've missed that sound too," Regina said lightly as she fished her phone out of the pocket of her denim jacket. "Excuse me for one second, I just have to text my dad and let him know that I've arrived safe and soundly. For some reason, he was really fussy about me flying. _¿No es eso el más lindo?_" she chuckled softly.

"He drop you off at the airport?" Emma guessed.

"Mhmm. He did." Regina began texting, and Emma left her to it. She instead concentrated on finding her way away from the airport. They seemed to have hit a bit of a queue. Unfortunately. Damnit. The drive was already long enough. Emma wanted to get home as soon as possible so Regina could put her feet up or whatever. Regina would probably laugh when Emma said that, but seriously, Emma had read that Regina was supposed to put her feet up a lot. And just rest in general. This week in Storybrooke would be the most relaxing time Regina had had in weeks, Emma would make sure of that. No work, no cooking, no nothing. Just good old fashioned relaxation.

"There we are. All done," Regina announced as she put her phone away. "Where were we?"

"Stuck in a queue," Emma joked.

"Ah."

"How was the flight?" Emma asked. Might as well kill the time in a sensible manner. Talking to Regina.

"It was okay."

"Any nausea?"

"No," Regina chuckled. "Not this time, thank god. Nausea's gone."

"Awesome. Any... movement then?" Emma inquired. She had been asking Regina this question every single day, and she was assuming that Regina would laugh and call her silly, so it was a bit surprising when Regina instead of laughing frowned softly and simply said: "no."

"You worried?" Emma asked, quickly picking up on Regina's changed expression and tone.

"Yes. No. Not really." she adjusted a bit in the passengers seat and ran a hand over her growing bump. "I just... read so much about how it's normal that the baby starts moving between week 16 and week 20. But I don't know, other websites say that it can be as late as in week 25, so I suppose I have nothing to worry about."

"You wanna get a checkup?" Emma asked softly. "I could totally make that happen. Say the word and I'll ask Doc. He's been my doctor ever since I was a kid, and he's really nice."

"_Eso es dulce_," Regina said. "But it's okay, _querida_. I don't need a checkup."

"If you're worried-"

"I'm not worried," Regina interrupted and rolled her eyes. "I'm just paranoid because this is my first pregnancy and I have no idea what to expect." She laughed a tad hopelessly. "I still got a lot to learn about this subject."

"Learning by doing?" Emma offered and hoped that the little quip could lift the mood.

It did. Regina chuckled lightly. "_Sí_, something like that." She rubbed her round belly again.

Emma couldn't help but looking at her while navigating in the queue. A bit unsafe, but again, she couldn't help it. She had seen enough pregnant ladies to know that every pregnancy and every belly looked different. Regina's belly was round. Almost ball-shaped. It was quite fascinating, really.

"What?" Regina asked. She had of course noticed Emma staring at her.

"You're beautiful," Emma said as an answer and grinned.

"Stop it," Regina laughed. "My ass is twice it's usual size, and my boobs are all-" she gestured at her chest, clearly trying to illustrate a pair of balloons.

"Oh yeah? I can't wait to see it for myself..."

"_Comportarse_," Regina scolded. "Or I might have to ask you to pull over or something."

"Great! I can totally do that!"

"The queue is moving..."

At last they arrived in Storybrooke. Emma pulled up in front of her parents house and announced: "_¡Bienvenido a Storybrooke!_"

"Not bad," Regina laughed.

"See any Spanish lessons in my future, do you?" Emma flirted unabashedly and winked at her girlfriend.

"Maybe," Regina said in a tone that was just a bit too low to be considered completely 'decent'.

Emma leaned in and kissed her. She just had to. Couldn't resist it when her girlfriend was sitting there and looked so darn pretty.

Regina immediately returned the kiss, but it didn't take all that long before she laughed and playfully pushed Emma away. "_Querida,_ your parents could be watching us."

"You're adorable when you're shy."

The look Regina shot her was positively spine-chilling. And dreadfully sexy. Emma mock shivered and clutched at her chest. "Careful, honey. You're going to make my heart stop."

That brought out another smile on Regina's pretty face. "Good," she joked as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Now come on. I wanna see your parents." In one elegant, fluid and entirely too fast movement she was out of the car.

"Careful," Emma said a tad hopelessly. Regina was entirely too quick on her feet for her taste!

"_YOU_ be careful," Regina teased and laughed heartedly, and normally, that kind of tone would have made Emma say something scandalous in return, but bearing in mind that her parents could come outside any moment, she refrained from doing so. Instead she got out of the car and almost ran round it to get to the boot first.

Regina pouted a little when Emma pulled her suitcase out right in front of her. "I could have done that myself," she insisted.

"Of course you could. But now I'm doing it, so suck it up," Emma snickered. Now it was her turn to tease.

Regina vaguely mumbled something in Spanish. Something Emma couldn't understand but still got the essence of. She chuckled to herself. Regina's dry, dry humor was the best thing since bear claws. Emma told her that, and Regina mock gasped while claiming that there surely was nothing better than bear claws.

"Is that the new craving?" Emma asked good-naturedly.

"_Tal vez_," Regina nodded and looked very thoughtful as though she was really considering the possibility of bear claws being a new craving.

"Well, if it is, we've got a nice stock just around the corner," Emma said and nodded towards Granny's Diner.

"Good thing," Regina quipped.

They made it to the front door. Of course Emma sprang into action and opened the door for her girlfriend.

"_Gracias_," Regina said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"You're welcome, honey," Emma teased.

Regina flashed her a overbearing look as she walked up the steps to the porch and then inside the hallway. Emma carefully closed the door behind them, but even before she had gotten the chance to announce that they were here, Mary Margaret eagerly came into the hallway. Maybe she had in fact been watching them from the window like Regina had claimed. Emma didn't know whether to feel horrified or amused.

"Regina, my dear!" Mary Margaret gushed and clapped her hands together. "Oh my goodness, look at you! You look wonderful!"

"_Gracias_, Mary Margaret," Regina said politely and smiled. "_Sí_, as you can see, things has happened since the last time..."

"You look wonderful!" Mary Margaret firmly repeated as she came over and gave Regina a hug. Emma could see that her mom was being extremely careful, and that made her smile.

"It's wonderful to have you back, dear. Emma's been moping-"

"Mom!" Emma protested.

Regina tilted her head. "Has she indeed?"

"No!" Emma barked.

"Just a smidge," Mary Margaret corrected with a chuckle and turned her attention to Regina once more. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"I feel pretty good actually. A lot more comfortable although I am struggling a bit with back pains at night from time to time."

"You've never told ME that!" Emma said a tad offended.

Regina blinked innocently. "I don't have to tell you everything, do I?"

Emma grumbled under her breath. Regina could be such a cheeky little thing sometimes. And if hadn't been for her mother's presence, Emma definitely would have told her that.

Now Emma's father came into the hallway to greet. He smiled at Regina, hugged her carefully and complimented on how well she looked. Regina smiled and said thank you and told how wonderful it was to be here again.

Emma fully agreed with that. It was indeed wonderful that Regina was back here again.

"Come in, come in," Mary Margaret sang. "I've prepared lunch! Well, actually, I popped over to Granny's and fetched us some burgers, but I figured that would be nice for you to have for lunch. They're still warm and everything."

"You fetched us burgers?" Regina asked with stars in her eyes and looked as though Mary Margaret had just offered her the moon.

"Yes," Mary Margaret smiled. "I had a feeling you would like that."

"You hungry?" Emma asked softly.

"_Sí_," Regina admitted with a nod. "I really am quite hungry. All the time."

David smiled good naturedly at that. "Well, it's a good thing we have everything ready. Come on in, Regina, and let's get some food in you."

"Good idea, dad," Emma applauded with a grin.

She and Regina freed themselves from their coats and shoes, and Emma left Regina's suitcase to temporarily stand in the hallway. They could always take it upstairs later. Meaning that _Emma_ could always take it upstairs later. God forbid that Regina should lift anything! She was definitely not allowed to do that as long as Emma was around. Soon they were sitting in the kitchen. Regina was happily munching on her burger, obviously trying to be polite and not eat too fast. Emma gave her arm a little squeeze. A silent approval to knock herself out if she needed to. Regina was pregnant. She was more than allowed to eat as fast as she damn well pleased.

"How is Sofía and Alessandra?" Mary Margaret chitchatted. "Emma told me that you went to dinner at their place a few weeks back."

Regina nodded. Carefully chewed and swallowed before answering: "_Sí_, that's right. It was a really lovely evening. They're very sweet, both of them. And excited to meet their baby. Already have the nursery ready and everything." she took another bite of the burger.

"How nice," Mary Margaret smiled.

Regina turned her attention to Emma: "so, _querida_, are you excited about your birthday tomorrow?"

Emma had just taken a big bite of her burger and had to settle for a vague: "uhmm..."

Regina raised an eyebrow while David chuckled and Mary Margaret said: "really, Emma! You shouldn't stuff your mouth like that."

Emma rolled her eyes as she chewed and swallowed. Her mom probably had a point though. Her throat ached a little. She cleared it and did her best to give a better response: "yeah, I mean, sure. It's my birthday, right? I suppose that's special."

"'Suppose'," Regina echoed and wrinkled her nose. "_Querida_, it IS special! Of course it is!"

"Regina's right," Mary Margaret agreed.

"Yeah, I know, it's just... twenty nine." Emma made a face.

"What's wrong with twenty nine?" Regina asked and frowned. "As far as I'm concerned, that's a great number!"

Emma wasn't so sure she agreed. Twenty nine was a big fat number. And especially when Regina was sitting here and looked so ridiculously fresh faced and perky. But she knew that if she said that, Regina would start fussing, so she settled for making a slight "hrrmph" sound only to immediately regret it because she realized how fucking old THAT made her sound.

Regina chuckled. She hadn't picked up on it. "So, what is the plan for tomorrow, _querida_? We're going to the Rabbit Hole, _sí_?"

"Yup, that's right," Emma confirmed with a nod. "But it's not gonna be anything wild at all. Just some dancing." she made a face. "And I'm pretty sure Ruby is gonna convince me to drink a birthday shot or something..."

"Hopefully not twenty nine of them," Mary Margaret muttered.

"Knowing Ruby it'll probably be something like that," Emma teased but then shook her head. "No, mom, obviously not. I'm not planning on getting wasted or anything."

"So, first Granny's Diner for a birthday dinner and then the Rabbit Hole?" Regina asked. "That sounds great, _querida_. I cannot wait to spend your birthday with you!"

"Me neither," Emma smiled. She was literally so happy Regina could be here for her birthday! That was the best gift of them all, and Emma hadn't even received any presents yet. But speaking of that...

"Did you buy me something pretty?" she sweetly teased her girlfriend.

Regina did that adorable thing where she scrunched up her nose. "That's for me to know. And you... to find out."

"Can I get a hint? Please?"

"No," Regina said sternly and scrunched up her nose again.

"Aww man!" Emma mock pouted.

"Emma, there's actually something we have to ask you," Mary Margaret said a bit suddenly.

"Okay?" Emma asked, turning her attention to her mom. "What is it then?"

"It's so terribly bad timing," Mary Margaret complained. "But the thing is... Well, you remember that your father and I had decided to go on that trip to Vermont in three weeks' time?"

"The one at the spa hotel, yeah. The hotel you're going to stay at in a week," Emma said mock jealously and flashed her mom a grin. "Yep, I remember. What about it?"

"The hotel mucked it up," David said with a headshake. "They accidentally double booked our room and there are no other rooms available that week..."

"No way, seriously?" Emma said and felt tempted to call the stupid hotel right away and complain. Her parents had so been looking forward to that trip for ages now! This was not fair!

"Yes, with the room unavailable, the trip in three weeks is out of the question," Mary Margaret said.

"So, it's cancelled then? Really? That sucks!"

"The hotel offered us a type of compensation," David said.

"Oh? What kind of compensation? You guys already paid the room in advance, right? You're getting your money back?"

"Not quite," her mom said and wringed her hands slightly. "But they did offer to knock half of the price off the room. If we go to Vermont this week instead."

"This week?" Emma said a bit surprised.

"Yes." Mary Margaret frowned. "It means that we would have to go tomorrow night, but it's your birthday, and I don't know. It doesn't seem right to just drive off on your birthday..."

"I completely agree," David said. "We can't just go to Vermont on your birthday. It's not right."

"And when Regina just got here," Mary Margaret added and shook her head. "The timing couldn't be more terrible!"

"Mom, dad," Emma chuckled. "You guys have been looking forward to this trip for almost six months. Mom, you haven't had a day off in... fuck, if I know how long-"

"Language, Emma."

"My point is," Emma said, ignoring her mom's attempt at scolding. "That of course you guys should go. I mean, come on, you probably won't get the option to take the day off anytime soon, will you?"

"No, probably not," Mary Margaret agreed.

"And besides, it's not like Regina is NEVER coming back after this time, is it, Regina?" Emma jokingly asked her girlfriend.

"Of course I'm coming back," Regina scoffed.

"See?" Emma turned to her parents. "Plenty of time to spend time with your favorite daughter-in-law..."

"_Querida_, I'm their ONLY daughter-in-law," Regina pointed out.

Ignoring that, Emma continued: "we could have that birthday dinner a little earlier. Maybe turn it into brunch instead or something, and then you guys could go afterwards. How about that?"

"Well, that is actually not a bad idea, honey," David said and looked at his wife.

Mary Margaret still looked hesitant. She carefully scanned Emma's face. "Are you sure you won't mind us leaving on your birthday, sweetie? I'm not sure I like it..."

"I'm a big girl, mom," Emma chuckled. "And it's not like I'm gonna be left here all on my own, is it?"

Regina flashed her a little smile. "My offer about singing a Spanish birthday song still stands, _mi amor_."

"See?" Emma said to her parents and grinned. She would love to hear Regina sing her a Spanish birthday song.

"It IS a one time chance, Mary Margaret," David pointed out. "And Emma's right. Who knows when you'll get the chance to take some time off. And you need some time away from work. We talked about it as late as yesterday..."

"That is true," Mary Margaret said and smiled at her husband. "Very well then. We're going to Vermont. But not until we've wished Emma a happy birthday and celebrated appropriately with her! And we will come back one day early to say goodbye to Regina and wish her a good trip home!"

"Deal," David said and gave his wife's and a squeezed. He glanced at Emma and mouthed 'thank you'.

Emma mouthed 'your welcome' at him and felt rather satisfied with herself. Of course her parents should go on the trip they had been planning for ages. Of course her mom should take some time away from work and get the chance to relax properly.

But Emma was not a complete angel. Her nudging had had some ulterior motives to it. She had seen an opportunity and grasped it with both hands. And now she and Regina had the whole house to themselves for almost a full week. An empty house. No risks of being interrupted or walked in on. No reason to be quiet or discreet.

Emma turned her head and flashed her girlfriend a little smile.

Regina returned the smile, but she also rolled her eyes just the slightest bit. Of course she knew the hidden reason behind Emma's nudging. She had figured out Emma's ulterior motives.

Emma merely lifted her shoulders once in an oh-so-innocent shrug. She hadn't done anything, really. Nothing what so ever. Just given her parents a little nudge out of the door, that was all...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Dios mío, te he extrañado mucho!= Oh my god, I've missed you so much!

¡Bésame, maldita sea!= Kiss me, damn it!

Eso es dulce= That is sweet.

Comportarse= Behave.

¡Bienvenido a Storybrooke!= Welcome to Storybrooke!

Tal vez= Maybe.

Gracias= Thank you.


	40. Chapter 40

"_Feliz cumpleaños, querida_," Regina whispered in her ear, and Emma made a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a groan.

"I'm twenty nine," she said hoarsely and reached out and grabbed the back of Regina's neck to keep her there for a moment.

"_Sí_, you are," Regina agreed with her and kissed the soft spot just below her ear.

"Oh man," Emma groaned. "You're still twenty!"

Regina chuckled. "I won't be twenty forever, _mi amor_."

"And I won't be twenty nine," Emma was definitely grumbling now. "Next year I'll be fucking thirty! And you'll be twenty one..."

"_Sí_, you're very observant," Regina teased.

"I'm not trying to be observant! I'm trying to point out how ridiculously old I am compared to you!"

"Don't be silly, _mi amor_. You're not old. Not even remotely. You do not think that I am too young, do you?"

"No. I just think that I'm too old!"

Regina laughed, and Emma couldn't blame her. Despite all the talk about feeling old, Emma had managed to sound like a petulant kid. She was complaining. On her birthday. Shame on her. She rolled onto her side, so she was face to face with Regina. Regina looked utterly perfect with her messy bedhead and rumbled pajamas. Her cheeks were stained with a touch of rose after sleeping, and her nose scrunched up adorably for a moment as she opened her mouth and hoarsely sang: "' _Cumpleaños feliz, Cumpleaños feliz! Te deseamos todos, cumpleaños feliz_...'"

Emma laughed upon hearing the familiar song. "More!" she demanded. She was allowed to. It was her birthday after all. She could be a little demanding.

"' _Desde el dia que naciste, has sido siempre y serás. Una dicha para todos, de inmensa felicidad_,'" Regina continued in her adorable raspy morning voice, and rolled her eyes a little at Emma's request. "' _Tu fiesta de cumpleaños la vamos a celebrar! Unidos a tu familia, todos vamos a cantar_...'"

"More!" Emma demanded because Regina had looked like she was about to stop. Emma didn't want her to stop. She was enjoying this immensely.

"' _Cumpleaños feliz! Cumpleaños feliz! Te desean tus amigos de Parchis_," Regina teasingly sang as she ran her fingers up and down Emma's side. "' _Cumpleaños feliz! Cumpleaños feliz! Te desean tus amigos de Parchis. Cumpleaños feliz! Cumpleaños feliz! Te desean tus amigos de Parchis, cumpleaños feliz, cumpleaños feliz! Todos te deseamos cumpleaños feliz_...'"

Emma grinned like a cat who had got the cream. It was entirely possible that she was a little bit attracted to Regina's birthday singing.

"' _Feliz cumpleaños, querida Emma, ¡feliz cumpleaños a ti!_'" Regina softly concluded and planted a light kiss on Emma's jaw.

"Thank you," Emma chuckled and reached up so she could cup Regina's beautiful face. "This is the best birthday ever."

"I haven't even given you anything yet," Regina pointed out and placed her hand on top of Emma's.

"You're here," Emma said simply. "That's enough gift for me."

"So you're not interested in seeing what I got for you?" Regina teased.

"Well..." Emma gave Regina a little tug, so she almost ended up on top of her. "Since you already got me something..."

"You know what I think?" Regina said and tapped Emma's collarbone with the tip of her finger. "I think you secretly like to receive presents."

Emma grinned and didn't confirm nor deny Regina's statement. "Can you sing me that birthday song again?"

"No, I most certainly cannot," Regina huffed. "I've already exposed you to my morning voice once. I'm not gonna do it again!"

"No?" Emma scratched her blunt fingernails up and down Regina's pajama-clad back. "Something else you wanna... expose me to then?"

"Em-ma!" a sweet blush rose in Regina's tanned cheeks. "Your parents are here!"

"True. How about later then?" Emma asked sweetly.

Regina quirked an eyebrow now, and her voice was all low and raspy when she said: "_Tal vez..._"

"'_Tal vez_,'" Emma repeated, quirking her own eyebrow. "I like the sound of that, babe."

Regina elegantly wigged out of Emma's half-hearted grasp. "Come on, _querida_. We've got to get out of bed. Otherwise your parents will think that we're-"

"What, exactly?" Emma teased.

"Hibernating in the bedroom until the end of time," Regina landed on and flashed Emma a stern look.

Emma scolded her features into something more serious. Okay, okay, no funny business right now. She could be good until tonight. After her parents had left.

Regina slipped out of bed and walked over to the window. She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and Emma couldn't stop looking at her.

"It's a beautiful day, _querida_," Regina reported with a grin. "You've been a good girl this year."

"Are you surprised?" Emma joked. "I'm always good."

"Mmm," Regina hummed and turned her head, glanced over her shoulder at Emma. "Are you gonna get out of bed?"

Emma mock grumbled and groaned as she dragged her surprisingly unwilling body out of bed. She could easily have handled a few more minutes of snuggles. She and Regina had slept so wonderfully last night. Regina had of course been the little spoon. Emma had been behind her, fingers threading through dark hair and free hand resting lightly on Regina's growing bump. That had been really nice, and Emma had hoped for a bit more of it, but Regina clearly had other plans. She was very energetic this morning. All bubbly and happy, and of course Emma was glad to see that. She could still remember the tearful, pale Regina half asleep in her dressing room. The tearful Regina who had just discovered that she was pregnant. Now she was way more comfortable, and that delighted Emma to see.

"You're right," Emma nodded as she glanced out of the window. "I HAVE been good this year!" the sky was clear blue and there was just a touch of autumn in the wind.

"Are you surprised?" Regina teased.

Emma gave her the lightest of little shoves.

"Rattle a pregnant woman?" Regina mock huffed. "How very dare you!"

"That was not rattling," Emma claimed. "But if you like, I could show you some proper rattling-"

"_Querida_."

"Sorry."

Regina chuckled. "You're very... eager this morning."

"Yeah, I know, I just... missed you. A lot."

Regina's smile grew softer. "I missed you too, _mi amor_. A lot."

That's when Emma heard some rattling from downstairs. Her mom was up. And clearly in the middle of making breakfast. "Chocolate chip pancakes," Emma predicted with a grin. "She always makes that for my birthday. Doesn't matter how old I am."

"I think it's sweet," Regina beamed. She scrunched up her nose and put a hand on her swelling belly. "I'm hungry!"

"And what else is new?" Emma teased and was immediately rewarded with a shove. She was quick to scold: "hey! Rattling the birthday girl isn't nice."

Regina grinned. "And what are you gonna do about it?"

"Don't test me," Emma warned, arms wrapping around her girlfriend and giving a little squeeze.

Regina squirmed. "Don't."

"Why?"

Regina blinked with her big brown eyes. "Because I have to pee."

Emma laughed louder than intended.

Once dressed, done up (and bladder things taken care of), Emma and Regina headed downstairs where they indeed found Mary Margaret by the stove, in full swing with flipping pancakes. The smell of melting chocolate filled the kitchen, and Emma sniffed appreciatingly. "Mmm, that smells good, mom."

"Emma! Happy birthday!" Mary Margaret smiled as she came over and gave her daughter a hug.

"Thanks, mom," Emma chuckled and returned the hug. "Good morning."

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mary Margaret cooed, sneaking a kiss onto Emma's cheek before releasing her. Then she turned to Regina. "And good morning, Regina! Did you sleep well?"

"Perfect, thank you," Regina assured and brushed a hand over the cream colored sweater she was wearing. Emma found that she looked awfully cute in that sweater and those leggings. Awfully cute and awfully pregnant. Seriously, Regina's bump had never been more prominent than it was today.

"Yes, happy birthday, princess," David chirped in as he came into the kitchen with a wrapped package wedged under his arm. He dumped it on the kitchen table and gave Emma a hug so tight she soon started to protest. "Dad! You're squashing me!" she yelped and gnashed her teeth at the way her cheeks had started to flush. If only he hadn't called her 'princess'. It was so embarrassing!

But Regina just laughed and then proceeded to call the table '_maravilloso_'. That was something Emma could only agree with. The table did indeed look 'maravilloso'. Red table cloth. The finest china. Which totally was not necerssary to use for breakfast, but oh well. Lit candles on the table. An enormous banner hanging from the ceiling, spelling out the words 'happy birthday, Emma!'. Emma had seen various forms of this banner over the years. Her parents had insisted upon hanging them up ever since she became aware enough to work out what they meant.

"It's nice," Emma nodded and suffocated a grin. "But don't you guys think it's a bit... much? I'm turning twenty nine and not sixteen after all."

"And when you turn thirty next year, we'll do the exact same thing," her mom brushed her off. "That is, if you're home to celebrate your birthday of course."

"And not far away in California," her dad added and grinned.

"I doubt it," Emma mumbled. One did not just move to California in a heartbeat.

"Well, sit down, sweetheart," Mary Margaret insisted and smiled goofily. "You know the rule. The birthday girl are not allowed to help out with breakfast."

"Right." this time Emma did chuckle as she sat down. Always the same every birthday. She could claim that she was too old for all this, but she secretly loved that her parents still made a big splash for her birthday. It was very sweet.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Regina offered sweetly. "I could make some coffee?"

"That would be lovely, dear, thank you," Mary Margaret said, beaming at Regina as though she had just offered her the moon and not doing a simple task like making coffee. Emma knew why. Neal had NOT been one for offering any help in the kitchen. Ever. He had been a complete lazy ass, and now that Emma was not seeing him through stupid rose-tinted glasses, she could easily see that.

Emma was asked- no, ORDERED to sit down at the table, and she willingly did so. Whilst grinning from ear to ear over seeing Regina potter around in the kitchen with her parents like all of them had known each other for years and not months.

"Did you sleep comfortably enough, Regina?" David asked concerned. "There isn't that much room-"

"_Sí_, it was very comfortable," Regina assured. "Although I couldn't fit my body pillow in my suitcase."

Emma snickered quietly.

There was nothing wrong with Regina's hearing. "Don't laugh at my body pillow, _querida_," she mumbled darkly.

"Sorry," Emma offered, scolding her features into something that wasn't a grin.

"Laughing is not nice," Regina continued. In a light tone. "Not even if it's your birthday." She wasn't upset at Emma.

"Regina is right," Mary Margaret said, pretending to be very serious. "Laughing is not nice." She grinned at Regina. "I had a pregnancy pillow when I was pregnant with Emma too. It saved my back on multiple occasions."

"When I could not," David smartly added and chuckled.

"Well, it's hardly my fault that you weren't all that good at backrubs, dear," Mary Margaret said, completely non-plussed.

"I'll have to be better than you, dad," Emma piped up. Seriously, she had to work on her backrub skills. Sooner rather than later, Regina was gonna need it.

"And I'm sure you will be," David chuckled.

"I have faith in you, _mi amor_," Regina teasingly added.

"And now the pressure is on," Emma joked. She was rewarded with an adorable laugh from Regina. The sound went straight to Emma's heart and soul and warmed her from the inside. She was so fucking happy having Regina here for her birthday. It sounded cliché, but the day wouldn't have been the same if Regina hadn't been here. Being wished a happy birthday via Skype wouldn't have been the same. It was so much better, waking up to Regina's kisses and rusty morning voice in the ear.

"Coffee for the birthday girl," Regina quipped as she brought said pot of coffee over to the table.

"Thank you," Emma said appreciatingly. "Come sit down, beautiful girl."

Regina ignored her and turned to Emma's mother instead. "Mary Margaret, is there anything else I can do?"

"No thank you, dear. You just sit down and relax," Mary Margaret replied. "Wouldn't want you to be too much on your feet."

Regina chuckled. "That's okay."

"And you must be hungry too," David added as he sat the enormous plate with chocolate-chipped pancakes down on the table. Then he sat down.

Mary Margaret opened a drawer and came over to the table with... birthday candles.

"Mom," Emma tried.

"Don't 'mom' me, Emma Swan," Mary Margaret huffed. "No birthdays without candles. You know the rules."

"That sounds like good rules," Regina agreed and winked at Emma.

"You're supposed to side with me, not them," Emma mock grumbled.

Regina elegantly brushed that aside. You arranged for a cupcake with a birthday candle for me," she pointed out.

That was true. Emma kept her mouth shut as Mary Margaret did her usual thing. And that usual thing was sticking birthday candles in the first and biggest pancake. Twenty nine candles. Oh yes, Mary Margaret took all of it very seriously. The pancake was elegantly maneuvered onto Emma's plate and the birthday candles were lit.

"There," Mary Margaret said triumphantly. "Make a wish, sweetie."

"Make it a good one, _querida_," Regina added and smiled.

Emma glanced at her girlfriend. Returned the smile. What was she even supposed to wish for on a day like this? She already had everything she could ever wish for. But maybe she could wish that Regina could stay here forever. Yes, maybe she could. Emma bowed her head, pulled her hair away from her face, and then she blew out the twenty nine birthday candles. Of course her parents cheered for her. They did so every year. But this year, Regina's voice was mingling with her parents'. Her sweet cheering made Emma smile even wider. She looked up and locked eyes with Regina. She scrunched up her nose adorably, and Emma felt very, very tempted to rush over there and kiss her. She would have if her parents hadn't been present, that was for sure. Oh god, from tonight it would just be the two of them together. They would have the entire house to themselves, and the wheels in Emma's head were turning in a very naughty direction. She was spurred on by the fact that Regina had been talking in her sleep last night. Nothing outrageously scandalous, but she had said Emma's name in a certain manner. Very distracting. And very, very sexy! Emma had been so tempted to wake up Regina, but of course she hadn't.

The gift from Emma's parents was most definitely a good one. Eager as she was, Emma immediately tore the wrapping paper off as soon as she received the present. Regina laughed at the childish behavior Emma was displaying, but Emma didn't care that she was being childish. She loved getting presents, damnit!

And this one was absolutely perfect. A bronze colored leather jacket with fur on the inside and on the edges. She flashed her parents a beaming smile. "Wow, this is perfect! Thank you so much, guys!"

"If you don't like it you can trade it-"

"Mom," Emma interrupted and chuckled. "I don't wanna trade it, okay? It's perfect!"

Mary Margaret visibly relaxed at that and returned the smile Emma was flashing her.

"Glad you like it. We only spent two hours trying to find the perfect jacket," David quipped and earned himself an eyeroll from his wife.

"It's very you, _querida_," Regina said as she got up from her chair. "I have a gift for you too, I'll just go upstairs and grab it!" with that she skipped out of the kitchen and practically raced towards the staircase.

"Be careful!" Emma called after her and grimaced. Seriously, could Regina BE running any faster up those stairs?

"I always am!" Regina said a tad defiantly, and then her footsteps disappeared.

Mary Margaret laughed.

"She's going too fast!" Emma grumpily defended, very much feeling that her mom's amusement was aimed at her and what she had said to Regina.

"You're so attentive towards her all the time," Mary Margaret said warmly. "It's very nice to see."

"Mooo-ooom," Emma groaned. "Stop it!"

"Your mother is right," David immediately backed up his wife. "And you're so happy all the time, kiddo."

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Emma said a tad grumpily. "Regina's amazing!"

"She is indeed," Mary Margaret agreed. "And she seems very... comfortable now."

"She does, doesn't she?" now Emma was the one to beam. "I think she's really starting to feel like... herself again."

Mary Margaret nodded. Reached out and patted Emma's hand. "I'm so happy she could be here for your birthday, honey."

"Me, too."

"And I'm sorry your dad and I are leaving." Her expression changed into a scowl. "Are you sure that you don't want us to-"

"Mom. Don't worry, okay? Of course I want you and dad to go to Vermont and have an awesome time," Emma said and once again felt like a little brat for wanting the house to herself while her girlfriend was visiting.

A moment later, Regina came back down the stairs (walking far too quickly for Emma's liking!) and grinned like the Joker when she presented a small wrapped present to Emma. "Found it. It was at the bottom of my suitcase."

"Obviously," Emma joked. "Can I open it?"

"Yes, of course. It's for you, silly," Regina chuckled as she sat down next to Emma again. She looked quite excited, really.

Emma was excited too. But not too excited to appreciate Regina's wrapping skills. "Pretty," she complimented as she looked at the neat, flower patterned wrapping paper and the little red bow on top of the gift. "Someday you'll have to teach me how to do that."

"Ask my dad," Regina half-snorted. "He's the one who taught me in the first place."

"Awww," Emma cooed and grinned, because she could suddenly see little seven year old Regina with pigtails, trying to learn how to wrap a present so it looked pretty.

"Just unwrap it, _querida_," Regina said, now a tad impatient.

"Yes, ma'am," Emma quipped and yearned herself a deep sigh and an eyeroll from Regina. She bit back her amusement as she quickly tore open the wrapping paper. Behind it, a small box with red velvet was hiding. Emma immediately recognized it as a jeweler's box, and one of her eyebrows rose. Had Regina gone out and bought her something really expensive? Even though Emma very explicitly told her not to? That dirty little cheater. Emma lifted the lid off the box and couldn't help but exclaiming at what she saw. There, inside the box, on a blanket of velvet was necklace. Delicate, thin silvery chain, but it was the pendant that immediately caught Emma's attention. It was a medallion. Silvery. Oval shaped and with a kind of vine pattern adorning the front. It was beautiful, and Emma who actually considered herself an expert when it came to receiving presents, felt a little weepy as she lifted the chain and pendant out of the box.

"This is beautiful, Regina. Thank you so much," she said softly.

"Might wanna take an extra look, _mi amor_," Regina said cryptically and once again did that adorable nose-scrunch.

"Huh?" Emma was confused as she looked at the oval pendant again.

"Along the vines," Regina helped her along.

"Oh," Emma squinted slightly now. Lifted the pendant a little as to see it better, and sure enough, there was indeed something along the vines. Words engraved. "'_No importa que nos separe la distancia, siempre habrá un mi-mi-mismo cielo que nos una.'_" She read aloud and cursed her school-Spanish. That definitely did not sound good at all, damnit!

"'_No importa que nos separe la distancia, siempre habrá un mismo cielo que nos una,_'" Regina repeated much more fluently and made it sound a zillion times better. "It means 'It doesn't matter that we're separated by distance, there will always be the same sky to unite us.'"

"Oh, fuck," Emma cursed unabashedly and felt a terrible lump forming in her throat. "That's beautiful! Thank you, Regina! Thank you so, so much!" she did not care that her parents were present right now. She just had to lean in and kiss Regina.

"You're welcome, _mi amor_," Regina said after having received Emma's kiss and pulled out of it far too quickly. "So I take that you like it even though you're not the jewel type..."

"This is a jewel I'll wear every fucking day!" Emma assured and weighed the medallion in her hand. Seriously, she would wear this jewel for the rest of her life!

"There's a picture in there too, by the way," Regina said casually.

"Oh god," Emma muttered. The engraving was one thing. A picture inside the medallion would most definitely be her doom. But nevertheless, she swiftly wedged a nail in between the tiny little crack in the medallion, tugged backwards, and as easy as one-two-three the medallion popped open and revealed a picture. It was a photo of Emma and Regina together, of course. Their very first selfie. Taken at the airport the day Emma was leaving Madrid for the first time. It was the picture where Regina was kissing Emma's cheek and Emma had this dopey grin on her face.

Present time Emma wore the same grin as she looked at the picture. "Perfect," she chuckled. "You couldn't have chosen a better one."

Regina looked rather satisfied at that.

"Can I see?" Mary Margaret asked, curiously leaning forward.

"Yeah, sure," Emma said and handed the medallion to her mom.

Mary Margaret took a good look at the picture and the engraving. Then she looked back up and smiled. "That is very sweet, Regina. Look at this, David," she handed the medallion to her husband.

"What a great picture of the two of you," David said warmly after having looked at the photo. "Where on earth did you get this, Regina?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too, beautiful girl," Emma interjected. "Where did you find that medallion?"

Regina tapped the side of her nose. "Wouldn't you like to know..."

Emma mock groaned. "I'm guessing you're not gonna tell me, right?"

"Your guess is correct, miss Swan," Regina laughed.

Emma rolled her eyes at her cheeky girlfriend and accepted the necklace when David handed it back to her. She fumbled with the lock on the chain long enough for Regina to stand up and with deft and expert fingers locking the necklace around her neck.

Emma flashed her girlfriend a smile. Said girlfriend smiled back, but now there was a hint of mischief in her eyes, and Emma felt a tingling sensation in her belly...

That night found Emma and Regina in full swing with getting ready for a night out at the Rabbit Hole. Emma was in the bedroom. She had just finished curling her hair. She preferred it hanging loose with a bit of extra volume. She always felt like a badass princess whenever her hair was like that. She was wearing black skinny jeans and a Bordeaux top that was a little sheer. She had chosen to wear her black lace bra underneath it, and the effect was rather good. She had a feeling that Regina would like it a lot.

Emma had just ran her fingers through her hair for the fifth time when Regina came into the bedroom once again. She had been in the bathroom to do her makeup, the lightening was better in there, but now she was back, and Emma had to pick her jaw up from the floor real quickly. Regina was wearing a purple dress. Tight at the top, Regina's 'new' cleavage looked exceptionally good in that bodice. But where the top of the dress was tightly fitted, the skirt was more loose and flowy and beautifully layered. It fell in a certain was over Regina's pregnant belly, accentuated it beautifully. With the tight bodice and the flowy, long skirt, this dress in many ways reminded Emma of Regina's flamenco dresses, and what a fond memory that was!

Regina had left her hair hanging loose in curls too, and she had of course stuck little purple flowers in between her dark locks. Emma still didn't know exactly how she did it, but the effect was beautiful and exotic, and the flowers matched Regina's dress to perfection.

"Wow," she said. It came out more as a sigh than anything else. God, Regina looked beautiful!

"_Querida_, you're stunning," Regina smiled as she looked at Emma. Her dark eyes lingered a little on the blonde's sheer top.

"Yeah?" Emma couldn't resist to ask.

"Mmmhmmm. Absolutely stunning," Regina said as she elegantly sat down on the edge of the bed and reached within her suitcase. She found a pair of little ballerina shoes and scowled slightly as she slipped them on. "I miss my dancing shoes."

"I know, but those are pretty too," Emma assured. And they were. Regina's ballerina shoes had little purple bows on them. Once again matching the dress to perfection.

"And I can dance a little in them too," Regina said uplifted. "That is of course if the little one allows me to..." she patted her rounded belly fondly and looked at it as she said: "could you do me a favor and maybe let me dance tonight? Without making me dizzy?"

Emma chuckled. Regina talking to the bump was adorable.

"And maybe... maybe you could move a little soon," Regina added a little more seriously with fingers still touching the bump.

"If you want an ultrasound, you only have to say the word, babe," Emma reminded her. "Seriously, just one word and I can make it happen like this..." she snapped her fingers.

Regina chuckled. "I don't need an ultrasound, _querida_. It's fine."

"But if you're worried-"

"I am not. I'm just being silly," Regina insisted, smoothing the flowing skirt over her bump. "Now then..." she stood from the bed and did a little spin that sent her flowy skirt swinging and fanning out around her.

"You look so good," Emma said admiringly, and her fingers itched to take a picture of Regina. She didn't have her camera nearby, but she did have her phone, and of course she couldn't resist the temptation. "Birthday selfie?" she asked sweetly whilst waving her phone at Regina.

"Sure," Regina chuckled. "Why not?" she smoothened a hand over her bump and then her hair. Then she came over to Emma and snuggled into her side.

Emma wrapped an arm around her and instructed her to "smile for the dickie bird."

Regina ended up laughing at the dickie bird instead, and that was even better. The picture turned out beautifully. Like every picture with Regina did.

"Another?" Emma sweetly coaxed.

"Anything for the birthday girl," Regina quipped. She turned so she was standing sideways, and then she stood on her tippy toes, so she was tall enough to reach Emma's cheek. She planted a sweet, soft kiss there, and now Emma was the one grinning like a goofball. Regina had just copied their first 'couple'-selfie. The selfie which now was secured inside the medallion around her neck.

"Perfect," Emma said and tried not to sound too much like a goofy idiot.

"Great," Regina snickered. "Are we ready to go then?"

"Yeah, I think we are," Emma nodded and of course had to check in: "are you tired? You sure you feel up for a night out?"

Regina tapped her nose. "I'm pregnant, Emma. Not an invalid. Of course I feel up for a night out. I'm looking forward to seeing you drink those twenty night shots..."

Emma groaned in dismay and shook her head. "Ruby was joking."

"Was she?" Regina teased.

"Yes she was!" Emma chewed at the inside of her cheek. "At least I hope so!"

"Well, I guess we'll found out," Regina said, smoothing her dress over her bump again.

Emma shivered, and that wasn't completely jokingly. She could do many things, but drinking twenty nine shots was not one of them. She was getting too old for drinking, damnit. And she was going to tell Ruby that if it was necessary. Emma wasn't planning on getting stinking drunk tonight. Tipsy perhaps, it was birthday after all, but not drunk.

They went downstairs where they found David and Mary Margaret in full swing with packing the last few things for Vermont. They were leaving shortly after Emma and Regina left to go to the Rabbit Hole. Which wouldn't be long.

"Well, we're off," Emma announced and brushed a hand over her newly acquired leather jacket. She was really pleased with it. Her parents knew exactly what was good.

"How nice you both look," Mary Margaret smiled. Looked at Emma. " That leather jacket fits you perfectly, sweetie."

"Yep, it sure does," Emma said, doing a little mock spin. Not unlike the one Regina had done a moment ago. It was obvious that Regina caught the intension behind the spin. She puffed out a chuckle and shook her head a little bit.

That prompted Mary Margaret to turn her attention to her. "What a lovely dress you're wearing, Regina," she praised and smiled at her 'daughter-in-law'.

"Thank you, Mary Margaret," Regina replied, returning the smile.

Mary Margaret looked at Emma and tilted her head.

"Nope," Emma laughed and lifted her hands in mock surrender. "I know what you're thinking, and sorry, it's not gonna happen, mom. Regina's dresses are pretty. On Regina. But let's be honest, I would look goofy in them."

Regina snickered but nevertheless protested: "you would not. I've seen you in sundresses, and you most certainly do not look silly in those!"

"Maybe not," Emma agreed and smiled teasingly at her mom. "But mom wants me to wear flowers in my hair, isn't that right, mom?"

Mary Margaret scowled and wagged a finger at her daughter. "Not so cheeky, young lady."

All three of them laughed heartedly until David came into the kitchen and nearly stumbled over the suitcase Mary Margaret had left abandoned.

"David!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "Be careful!"

David offered a small sheepish grin and then turned his attention to Emma and Regina. "All ready to head out, ladies?"

"_Sí_," Regina replied. "Emma promised to take me dancing. Isn't that right, Em-ma?"

"Yup," Emma confirmed, slipping an arm around Regina once more.

"Have a nice evening," David smiled. "But be careful."

"Dad," Emma rolled her eyes. "You're going on vacation, remember? No more policing." She glanced at her mom and warned: "and no more mayoring."

"Got it," Mary Margaret assured. "Have fun you two!"

"I'm sure we will," Regina said briskly, leaning into Emma's shoulder.

Mary Margaret came over and gave Emma a hug. "Happy birthday, sweetheart. I'm sure Ruby and Belle will celebrate you properly at the Rabbit Hole."

"I'm sure they will too," Emma replied, once again worrying about those potential twenty nine shots.

"I still don't feel good about us leaving on your birthday," her mom continued.

"Mom," Emma said softly and let go of Regina to pat her mom's back. "Don't worry, okay? You haven't had a proper day off for-"

"Thirty years," David joked.

"-At least five years," Emma continued, snickering slightly at her father's 'funny' comment. "Of course I want you to go to Vermont and have a good time. You deserve it. Both of you. Go to Vermont and get pampered. That can be you guys' extra birthday present to me. I demand a daily picture of you in some kind of relaxing situation. And that's an order."

"I'll make sure she relaxes," David vowed. "Every single day."

"That sounded like a threat, dear," Mary Margaret pointed out as she released her daughter and turned to her daughter-in-law instead. "Goodbye, Regina, dear. I hope you'll have a lovely time here!"

"I'm sure I will," Regina replied and flashed Emma a little smile.

"Remember to get plenty of rest," Mary Margaret said, sounding every bit like a concerned mother would and should.

"I will," Regina chuckled. "I promise."

Mary Margaret then wrapped her arms around Regina and gave her a very gentle hug, minding the bump as she did so.

As Emma was being hugged by her father, she quelled the 'aww' forming on her lips when she saw her mother pat Regina's cheek in that adorable motherly fashion. Mary Margaret had really taken Regina under her wing and was clearly thinking of her as a member of the Swan-family. And to be honest, Emma thought of Regina like a member of their family too.

"Have a good time in Vermont, guys," Emma said, hugging her dad once more for good measurement.

"Have a good time at the Rabbit Hole," David chuckled. "And don't drink too much."

"Dad," Emma groaned. "I'm twenty nine, remember."

"And still my little girl no matter what."

"You are impossible, old man," Emma laughed.

After having hugged Emma, David proceeded to hug Regina in the same careful manner, and after one more goodbye, David and Mary Margaret loaded their suitcases into the car and prepared to leave while Emma and Regina prepared to head to the Rabbit Hole for the night...

The Rabbit Hole was as usually packed with people when Emma and Regina arrived. Emma took Regina's coat and carefully hung it on the hanger, gentle'man' through and through, and then she left her own coat there as well. She proudly took Regina's hand as they walked inside the bar itself.

"There she is! There's the birthday girl!" Ruby exclaimed as she came over to them. She was wearing a little red number of a dress, high heels and the red stripes in her hair had clearly been intensified. The shade of her lipstick was matching her dress to perfection.

"Hey, Rubes," Emma grinned as she gave her best friend a hug. "You look awesome!"

"I know. Belle could barely keep her hands off me before we left..."

"That is not true," Belle protested and rolled her eyes as she joined them. She too looked awesome tonight. She had bundled her long brown hair up on top of her head in a loose bun with a few strands left hanging around her face and framing it. She was wearing a blue sequin mini dress with strings down the back, and judging by the way Ruby was looking at her, Emma suspected that it had been the other way around. That Ruby hadn't been able to keep her hands off of Belle before they left. Maybe that's why Belle's eyes were twinkling, and her hair seemed a bit too messy for it to be styled that way. Emma quelled her amusement and kept her thoughts to herself as she hugged her friends.

"Regina!" Ruby nearly squealed as she practically attacked Regina with hugs. "You look fantastic!"

"_Gracias_, Ruby!" Regina laughed and went along on the high pitched greeting despite the fact that she and Ruby had seen each other yesterday when Emma and Regina had dinner at Granny's. Where Ruby had reacted the exact same way as she did right now.

Emma watched as her friend and girlfriend hugged, and she had to bite her tongue not to admonish Ruby to be gentle with Regina. If Regina felt like she was being squished, she could most likely say so herself. Emma was not her guard dog.

Belle too gave Regina a hug, and then they settled down on the high chairs near the bar.

"Two shots for the birthday girl!" Ruby said to the bartender before Emma could get the chance to say anything.

"Ruby..." Emma warned, but she was easily ignored.

"Vodka and cola for me," Belle said and flashed Emma a 'what are you gonna do about it?' kinda look.

Emma grumbled. There wasn't much she COULD do about it, really. It was her birthday after all. Of course she had to do a shot or two. You couldn't just break tradition.

"Emma, stop making that face, please. Don't be a grumpy birthday girl," Ruby said whilst smiling at the bartender. "I'll have a mojito."

"And I'll have a diet coke," Regina said and looked like she was trying hard not to smile at Ruby and Emma's little exchange.

It didn't take the bartender long to make and serve the drinks, and as soon as everyone had a glass in their hands, Ruby raised hers, cleared her throat and said solemnly: "a toast for the birthday girl! Twenty nine years-"

"Please stop saying that," Emma interjected and cringed.

"To our ageless beauty," Ruby continued, rolling her eyes at Emma's comment. "Who somehow has gotten it into her pretty head that she's old when she's not really. She's a spring chicken, that one!"

"Ruby, I swear to god I'm gonna murder you!" Emma muttered through gritted teeth. Under no circumstances was Ruby allowed to call her a spring chicken when Regina was sitting right there and looked so young and perky and fresh faced!

"Our grumpy birthday girl, who's an awesome friend when she's not grumpy," Ruby continued, ignoring Emma completely now. "Our best friend who had to deal with some shit and a douchebag before running off to Spain and stumbling upon this lady over there-" she nodded at Regina and flashed her a grin. "Regina, I'll have to be honest with you, when Emma arrived home and announced that she had fallen head over heels for a Spanish dancer, I was skeptic-"

"RuBY!" Emma growled.

"-BUT then I met you. Got to know you. And I realized exactly why our Emma is so dang smitten with you," Ruby continued, still smiling widely at Regina. "You adore her as much as she does you."

"_Sí_, that I do," Regina confirmed and took Emma's hand.

"As her friend, that's pretty much the only thing I'm asking," Ruby said, raising her glass a little higher. "Keep loving her. Keep luring her to Spain often enough to make her friend miss her. And thank you for helping making her birthday a damn good one!" she took a quick sip of her drink before turning to Emma. "Em, Swannie... Happy birthday! I still haven't forgiven you for wanting to disappear to California without me, but it is what it is. Cheers!"

Emma laughed heartedly at her friend's hilarious speech, and then they all toasted and drank to the birthday girl. Who was most definitely NOT old!

She received more hugs from Ruby and Belle, and a present too. A gift certificate to the best spa resort in Storybrooke, and Emma exclaimed in delight when she opened the envelope. A spa day! Massage, manicure, pedicure, facials, exfoliations, wraps and packs, aromatherapy and you name it! Yes, Emma was very, very excited! If there was something she liked, it was a good pampering, and after all that crap with Neal, she certainly felt like she had earned it!

"This is awesome!" she beamed at her friends. "Thank you so much!"

"If you take a closer look at it, you'll discover that it's actually a couples thing," Belle said with a grin.

"It is?" now Emma was even more excited. She could bring Regina with her! Being pampered was fun. Being pampered with her girlfriend was even better. She took a closer look at the gift certificate, and sure enough, it was indeed a couples thing.

"Oooooh," Regina cooed as she leaned in and looked at the gift certificate. "That's nice, but it's not my birthday. It's Emma's!"

"Yeah, but we happen to like you too," Belle chuckled. "So why not include you? And you're here for a week. Perfect occasion."

"Thank you!" Emma said warmly and looked at Regina. "We'll definitely be using this. I know I'm decent at giving you massage, but letting a professional doing it is great!"

"You're better than decent," Regina said firmly, smile spreading on her lips.

Emma had a feeling that Regina was thinking back to the backrub she had given her before bedtime last night. And Emma had to agree with her girlfriend. That had been pretty great.

"That's a very pretty necklace, Emma," Belle said and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

"Thanks," Emma replied and toyed with the pendant. "Regina gave it to me. And she also sang 'happy birthday' to me in Spanish this morning!"

"You didn't have to tell them that, _querida_," Regina grumbled as she sipped her diet coke.

"Why not? I loved it. It was cute," Emma said simply and leaned forward so Ruby and Belle could take a closer look at her new necklace.

"'_No importa que nos separe la distancia, siempre habrá un mismo cielo que nos una,_'" Belle read aloud. "That sounds beautiful. What does it mean?"

"It means: '_It doesn't matter that we're separated by distance, there will always be the same sky to unite us_,'" Emma translated and felt that warm fuzziness spreading rapidly in her chest.

"Awww," Ruby cooed. "That's the most adorable thing ever!"

"_Sí_, why not take advantage of the long distance thing?" Regina half-quipped.

"Yes, why not," Emma agreed and gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "It's perfect."

The look Regina flashed her was positively heart melting...

That night was awesome. Plain and simple. Emma drank her two shots. And then another. Then she had an actual drink. It wasn't enough to get her drunk, but she definitely felt all warm and fuzzy everywhere. Quite pleasant, really.

Regina too looked to be having a great time tonight. She couldn't drink, but she didn't need to. She was smiling and laughing and when she batted those big brown eyes at Emma and asked: "_¿Baila conmigo, cumpleañera?_", Emma could only nod her head, get off the high chair and take Regina's hand as they walked out on the dance floor.

Soon they were dancing properly. Regina had her arms around Emma's neck, cheek resting against her chest, and Emma's arms were wrapped around Regina's waist. Not too tightly, of course. God, no! But despite the loose grip, she could still feel Regina's bump press into her belly, and Emma couldn't help but chuckle at the sensation. "It's like I'm dancing with the both of you," she said dreamily. The silly statement undoubtedly born because of the alcohol she had consumed.

"Does it feel very strange?" Regina asked and grinned just a little.

"No, not at all. It feels nice. Awesome!"

"You're a strange one," Regina stated plainly, face lighting up when the song changed, and the beat became faster. "Spin me around!" she prompted.

"What?" Emma asked. It was a bit difficult to hear in this noise.

"Spin me around!" Regina repeated, now grinning like the Joker. "Please? It's been so long since I last danced properly!"

"What about your dizziness?" Emma asked, of course concerned.

"Screw my dizziness. Now spin me around, please!"

Emma did as she was ordered to do, and Regina laughed heartedly as she gracefully spun around, skirt floating around her, and hair dancing in the air. She was still every bit graceful and elegant, and when she a second later picked up the bottom of her long skirt and started dancing in earnest (and completely stealing the show and dance floor!) Emma immediately recognized the flamenco dancing beauty she had met almost six months ago in a bar in Madrid. She turned her head, looked at Ruby and Belle. They looked back at her and Ruby looked like she was mouthing: "oh my god". Emma could only agree. Oh my god was the only appropriate reaction when Regina was dancing like this. With her flowing locks and swishing skirt, she looked like the Spanish beauty she was. A goddamn queen!

"Stop ogling your girlfriend," Ruby whispered in Emma's ear as she and Belle came out on the dancefloor too.

"Stop telling me what to do," Emma joked. "It's my birthday. I can do whatever I want. Including admiring my girlfriend."

"I think the admiring is mutual," Belle quipped, nodding towards Regina.

Emma turned her attention back to the highlight of this evening and smiled like a smitten fool when Regina wagged her finger in a 'come here'-motion. Of course Emma went over to her.

"You're not dancing with me, _querida_," Regina complained as she took Emma's hands and placed them on her hips.

"For a second it looked like you didn't need me," Emma joked.

"I got a little carried away," Regina admitted sheepishly. "It's been ages since I last danced."

"Well, the floor is yours, beautiful girl."

"No. No-no-no-no. The floor is _ours_, _querida_," Regina corrected and smirked devilishly as she arched her back in a most seductive, sexy manner. When she returned to her normal position, she looked utterly triumphant. "Still flexible, then. Good to know."

"Are you trying to get us to leave the party early?" Emma whispered in her ear. And that was definitely not a joke.

"No, I'm just trying to show you what I'm capable off. What I'll be capable off later."

"Oh, fuck me," Emma muttered lowly, mind flooding with all sorts of delicious scenarios.

"Mmm. Later, birthday girl," Regina cackled, and before Emma could get a chance to say something to THAT, Regina had pulled her in for a sweet, slow kiss right there on the dancefloor.

Emma's hands immediately travelled up and found their natural place on Regina's baby bump. She had missed holding Regina like this. Had missed kissing her like this.

"Oi, this is a public place, you two," Ruby grinned, elbowing Emma when she and Belle 'just so happened' to dance past them. "Save it for later."

"Piss off," Emma grumbled. Only partially joking.

Ruby laughed shamelessly whilst Belle looked like she was about to scold her girlfriend.

"_Oh, Mierda_," Regina muttered as they began swaying to the music once more.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"The teenage boy is back."

"The teenage- Oh! Ohhhh!" the lightbulb immediately switched on in Emma's mind. She had managed to make Regina horny. Just by giving her a sweet kiss.

"Damnit," Regina said simply.

"Later," Emma promised, trying not to grin as she held Regina close. Oh yes, most definitely later!

To say that Emma was happy when she and Regina left the Rabbit Hole later would be an understatement. She was damn nearly ecstatic, and she considered this to be the best birthday she'd had since she was a little kid and still was excited about her birthday. Her birthday last year had mostly consisted of Neal coming home from work late with a pizza and a 'happy birthday, Em'. He had kissed her, they'd eaten pizza and drunken beer in front of the television. Later they had gone to bed and the night had ended with half-hearted sex because Neal was tired and Emma wasn't terribly in the mood, but had gone along with it anyway because it WAS her birthday and Neal was working late all the other nights.

This night, Emma thought to herself, had been anything but halfheartedly. She'd had so much fun hanging out with her friends and girlfriend. Dancing with Regina. Kissing Regina. Watching Regina absolutely own the dancefloor. There had been birthday selfies taken tonight. Of all four of them and just photos of Emma and Regina which Ruby had taken. She and Belle had fawned over the little picture in Emma's medallion, and sung happy birthday to her. Ruby, Belle and Regina. All three of them had sung 'happy birthday', and it had simply just been an awesome night.

But Emma wasn't unhappy that they were going home now. Quite the contrary. She had loved spending time with her best friends, but she and Regina had been apart for four weeks, and Emma would lie if she claimed that she wasn't looking forward to a bit of one-on-one time with her girlfriend. Whether that one-on-one time would be spent sleeping in the bed or doing things in bed that did not involve sleeping. It didn't matter to Emma. She just wanted to be close to Regina without anyone watching them.

Emma smiled when she became aware that Regina was absentmindedly humming through herself. One of the songs they had played in the club. And rather than making Regina aware of this, Emma chose to let her do her thing and instead focused on something she found to be highly interesting. They were passing Robert Gold's pawnshop, and Emma could see a big fat 'For Sale' sign that had been slapped across the big window in the store. She stopped abruptly and because her arm was around Regina, she ended up bringing her to a halt as well.

"Ooof," Regina said. "What are you doing, _preciosa_?"

"Sorry," Emma offered and nodded towards the shop window. "I'm just gloating."

"Gloat- Ohh!" Regina snickered now. "I see. Interesting."

"I don't know about you, but to me it looks like Robert and Milah are leaving town," Emma snickered. "Oh man, this is definitely the best birthday ever!

"You're awful, _querida_," Regina laughed. "But I must admit that I'm happy about it too. The idea of them bothering you is not a pleasant one."

Emma gave her a little squeeze. "Looks like to me that we're rid of the people making life tough for us, beautiful girl."

"I hope you're right," Regina said softly and tugged her coat tighter around herself.

"Cold?" Emma guessed.

"It's not that bad. Are my lips turning blue?" Regina joked.

"No, but if they were, I'd definitely kiss them back to normal," Emma promised.

"I'm sure you would, _preciosa_," Regina said amusedly and looked up at the inky black sky dotted with stars. "Although it might be chilly, it's still a beautiful evening. You really have been a good girl this year."

"Of course I have!" Emma huffed, mock offended. "I already told you, I'm always a good girl."

Regina cackled in a way that surely indicated that she didn't find Emma to be a 'good girl' at all times, and Emma gave her a little squeeze again because she was pretty sure she knew exactly what was going on in Regina's beautiful brain at the moment.

"That gift certificate wasn't a bad gift at all," Emma chit-chatted as they slowly walked back through Storybrooke.

"No, it was not. And it was very sweet of Ruby and Belle to include me in it."

"They love you too, you know," Emma said simply, squeezing Regina again. "Exactly like my folks do. Didn't you see how genuinely distraught my mom was about taking off while you're here?"

"I did see that. And you just had to tell her to just go already," Regina scoffed and clicked her tongue. "And you call yourself a 'good girl'."

"Okay, okay, so I might have had an ulterior motive," Emma admitted. "But so what? We haven't seen each other for four weeks. I think a little alone-time is acceptable, don't you?"

"_Sí_, I do indeed," Regina nodded. "But still..." she clicked her tongue again. "_Eres una chica mala_."

"And you're the hottest thing in the goddamn world."

Regina bursted out laughing. Loudly and unbridled right there in the middle of the street. "Are you drunk, Em-ma?"

"No!" Emma huffed, correcting: "tipsy."

Regina laughed again. "You're awfully cute when you're tipsy."

"Damn those shots," Emma grumbled. "They're going straight to my head."

Regina snickered. "It's very amusing, _querida_. Sometimes I miss drinking too. And smoking. But I think I'm starting to realize how bad it was for me." She scrunched up her nose. "But seriously, the lack of coffee is killing me!"

"You're not allowed to die," Emma said firmly. "If you do, I'll kill you!

That prompted Regina to laugh heartedly once more.

As soon as they arrived back home, they immediately slipped off their coats and shoes. Regina padded inside the kitchen, and after having smoothened her hair a little bit, Emma followed suit. She found Regina standing in the middle of the kitchen, absentmindedly humming to herself once more.

Emma walked over to her, wrapped her arms loosely around Regina's waist and gently drew her closer. Maybe she was tipsy, but she was still a hundred percent aware and attentive. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly. "Are you hungry or thirsty? Is there anything I can get you?"

"No thank you, I'm fine," Regina replied and smiled. "I don't need anything. Well... except for..." she stood on her tippy toes to be tall enough, and then she brushed her lips softly against Emma's.

Emma immediately returned the kiss and exhaled softly into the kiss. After a moment, they broke apart, and Emma jokingly asked: "how's the teenage boy doing now?"

That elicited a smile and an eyeroll from Regina. "He's still there."

"And what would he like to do?" Emma asked goofily, silently wondering how far she could stretch the teenage boy joke.

"He'd like to go upstairs and wish you a happy birthday," Regina huskily murmured and toyed with a lock of Emma's blonde locks.

"Yeah? You're sure?" Emma checked.

"Yes, Em-ma," Regina drawled, now taking Emma's hand. "I'm sure." With that she leaned in and kissed Emma again. But not her mouth this time. No, this time it was the side of her neck, and Emma shivered from head to toe. Had she been a little more drunk, she probably would have ripped Regina's clothes off and done this with her right here, but fortunately enough, she was not that drunk. Regina definitely deserved a warm, comfortable bed to lie in.

"Emma..." Regina murmured against her neck. "_Llevame a la cama_."

Emma knew what that meant, and she didn't hesitate before she gently tugged Regina towards the staircase. She didn't pull too harshly at Regina. God forbid that she should yank at her pregnant girlfriend's arm.

But Regina seemed to appreciate this gentle pulling. She certainly laughed as she willingly followed Emma up the stairs, and Emma thought to herself that as lovely as Regina looked in that purple dress of hers, it was high time to help her out of it. Emma desperately needed skin to skin contact with Regina. She almost felt touch starved after those four weeks they had spent apart, and judging by how Regina turned around and flashed her an impatient look, she felt the same.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Emma chuckled.

"That's what she said," Regina said dead-seriously, and Emma tried not to laugh.

But once they made it upstairs to Emma's bedroom, it was no laughing manner anymore. Clothes were rapidly shed and ended up in an unruly bundle on the floor. Emma's hands roamed over Regina's naked body, and for a moment Regina looked self-conscious as she looked down at herself. Her larger breasts and swelling belly. After a moment she looked back up at Emma through her lashes. Bit her plump bottom lip slightly and asked: "well... what do you think?"

"I think you're stunning," Emma said softly, hands sliding lower to Regina's baby bump. "So, so stunning. I mean, just look at you! I doubt there's been a more gorgeous pregnant woman than you."

Regina blushed prettily and pointed out: "my body is so different now. So..." she did not finish the sentence. Simply gestured to her swelling abdomen.

"Mmm," Emma agreed. "You're right, there's more of you now. More to love."

Now Regina was really blushing. But she still managed to grasp Emma's hand and tug her towards the bed in the center of the room. That spare-bed had been put up in Emma's room once again, but this time, the beds had been pushed together right from the start.

Emma willingly sat down on the bed, and it didn't take long before she had one very naked and enthusiastic Regina Mills sitting on her lap. She lovingly cupped Emma's cheeks with her warm hands and her voice was all low and soft when she said: "Happy birthday, _mi hermosa Emma_."

"Thank you," Emma said just as softly, and then she was kissed again. Thoroughly and warmly. Regina's tongue slipped inside her mouth as the kiss grew deeper, and Emma tangled her fingers into Regina's long hair. She moaned as she was pushed backwards onto the bed. Regina adjusted slightly on top of her. It felt a bit differently. Regina's belly was very much present, but that didn't matter. Emma loved having Regina on top of her. As they kissed, she reminded herself to ask Regina if she was okay to lie on her back still. Otherwise they would just have to get a little creative. But that wouldn't be a problem. Of course not. Emma wanted Regina to be comfortable. Always.

Regina adjusted a little on top of her again. She was still kissing Emma, but one of her hands had slipped lower. Had wiggled in between Emma's thighs. Her fingers were gently stroking where a certain wetness had started to spread. Emma moaned again. Fuck, this was literally the best birthday ever!

Regina kept kissing and kissing her until Emma was quite breathless. That was when she smirked at Emma. When her fingers wiggled inside Emma and made Emma's mouth fall open.

"Shit!" she cursed as she took a quivering breath. Yeah, this was definitely one of the things she had dreamed about for the past four weeks.

"I've missed this," Regina husked. "I've missed feeling you, _querida_."

"Fuck, you can't just say stuff like that," Emma moaned, and, in the same breath: "I've missed you too! So fucking much! Mmm!" she was robbed of her voice when Regina's fingers wiggled inside her and brushed against that particular spot that never failed to make her toes curl and her belly clench.

Regina mumbled Spanish words in her ear. Emma had no idea what they meant, but she still soaked them up. All of them. Because even though she did not know what the words meant, she had her ideas. Regina's voice was low and soft. And she always used this particular tone for declarations of love. Emma told her that she loved her too and earned herself a rather skillful wiggle from Regina's fingers that had her moaning sharply. Her back arched and her fingers clutched at Regina's back, trying her best to bring her closer although it was physically impossible for Regina to be any closer than she was right now.

Or was it? When Regina kissed her again, Emma certainly doubted it. Maybe they were melting together or something. Yes. That could very well be the case. Emma definitely felt like she was melting. Her skin was on fire. Her belly full of molten lava. She was a volcano about to explode. Her fingers dug into Regina's naked back. She never wanted to let go. Couldn't Regina just stay right here forever? Literally right here. On top of her. Until the fucking end of time. Emma should like that very much. Maybe she even wished that she had wished for that when she blew out that birthday candle.

"I think you're close, _querida_," Regina murmured in her ear. "I can feel it."

Emma gave a kind of vague answer. She really wasn't in any position to talk right now. And even less when Regina suddenly wiggled on top of her and wrapped her lips around a taut nipple.

Emma shouted. Yelled into the ceiling and dug her blunt fingernails into Regina's soft skin. That was something she would apologize for later, but right now she couldn't focus on anything except the jolts of pleasure that zapped through her system. Regina was right, she was indeed close. Almost too close too quickly after the four weeks of waiting, but perhaps that was exactly WHY she was close. Emma gnashed her teeth and prepared for the inevitable whilst clutching Regina closer, closer, closer. Breathed in the apples in her hair. The cinnamon scent of her skin. Regina almost smelled so fucking good! In her delirious state Emma ended up telling her this, and Regina ended up laughing around a nipple, and that little vibration did something most interesting to Emma. Perhaps it was this vibration combined with the steady push from Regina's fingers that made Emma tumble over the edge. Regina's name was on her lips like a prayer, her fingers digging into Regina's shoulders, and her head spinning slightly because of it all.

"Mmm," Regina cooed. "That was fun."

Emma croaked something between a laugh and a moan. Let herself melt against the mattress and kept her eyes closed.

After a moment, Regina gently eased her two fingers out of Emma and the suckling sound Emma heard a moment later told her that Regina was licking her fingers clean. Damn her. That sexy little minx. She was still on top of Emma, and Emma had no problem with feeling how wet this had made Regina.

"Holy crap," Emma said, once coherent enough to say ANYTHING.

Regina snickered. "_Sí_, that was fun."

"It's about to get even better," Emma promised. Her legs still felt hella weak, but she managed to push herself up. She leaned in for a quick kiss before checking: "are you cool with laying on your back?"

"_Sí, querida_. I am extremely cool with laying on my back," Regina breathlessly assured.

"Well in that case..." Emma smirked and gave Regina a very gentle push backwards. "Lie back, sweetheart. And think of Madrid."

"Would rather think of you," Regina said smoothly as she lied back and spread her legs apart.

Emma ignored that. As much as she wanted to, she wasn't gonna go for it so quickly. Oh no, first she was gonna savor Regina a little. And that involved kissing every inch of Regina's glorious body. She did not tell Regina this, however. She simply began her mission. Started out by kissing Regina's lovely lips until Regina was quite breathless. Then she moved along to Regina's cheek. Her jaw. Her long, beautiful neck. Her throat. She dotted kisses all over her collarbones. The top of her chest.

"_Mierda_," Regina said plainly, and Emma chuckled against her chest. _Mierda_ indeed.

"What are you doing?" Regina groaned. "I'm dying here, _querida_!"

"I'll save you," Emma assured. "Don't you worry about a thing. And for the record, I'm not planning on teasing you. I'm just... you know... savoring you a little."

"I can't even protest against that, can I," Regina moaned and puffed out a breath of air as she adjusted slightly.

"Are you sure you're comfortable?" Emma asked, lifting her head slightly.

"Yes! Don't stop!" Regina commanded, and Emma couldn't blame her. Her mouth had been only inches from her nipple.

Emma lowered her head once more. Wrapped her lips around Regina's nipple and sucked gently for a moment. Then she switched side and did the same thing. Regina squirmed underneath her. Maybe she could even come from this, but Emma wasn't planning on making that happen. This was not how she wanted her girlfriend to come. If there was something she had missed, it was how Regina tasted. Oh, she was gonna taste her!

But for right now, Emma showed the underside of Regina's left breast some sweet attention that had Regina squirming and moaning and mumbling something incoherent in Spanish. Something that sounded slightly impatient. She wiggled underneath Emma, squeezed her legs together, and that little wiggle had Emma immediately readjusting her weight. God forbid she should squish Regina or something. That would be awful.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Regina groaned. "It's not fair, _querida_! I know it's not MY birthday, but honestly..."

"Don't worry," Emma crooned and lifted a hand so she could brush a lock of slightly damp hair away from Regina's forehead. "Seriously, I'm not going to tease you. I promise I won't. I just wanna kiss you a little first. That's not a problem, is it?"

"You're kissing me in all the wrong places!" Regina complained and opened her legs a little again.

Emma smirked. "Fret not. I have every intention of kissing you there in a moment. When I'm done here." with that, she bowed her head and placed a kiss on Regina's hard nipple.

Regina hissed and Emma felt her back curve. "If I- _dios!_\- come from this, it's entirely your own fault!"

"That's a cross I'll be willing to bear," Emma murmured with her mouth only inches from Regina's breast. Soon she was lowering her mouth again and doing things with it that had Regina exclaiming in Spanish and tangling her fingers into Emma's blonde locks. She tugged a little, and oh yeah, that was another thing Emma had dreamed about during those four weeks she had been on her own.

"You're never allowed to go home again," she told Regina. "I won't have it."

"Fine. Whatever. Just fuck me!" Regina huffed.

Emma quelled a smile. She was definitely gonna remind Regina of this later. The time Regina 'whatever'd" her in the middle of sex. Seriously, that was a little funny.

"_Querida, _please! I think I might be dying!"

Okay, that was bad. "I'll rescue you," Emma assured once again. "No dying, please."

"Do something then," Regina huffed. "Otherwise this will be something more severe than _la petit mort_."

Emma chuckled against Regina's breast. "That was a good one."

"Emma! Please!"

Okay, no more getting sidetracked. Regina was starting to sound a little desperate. Emma decided to come to her aid as she finally started to slowly kiss her way down Regina's oh, so magnificent body. Down her ribcage. She pursed her lips, blew hot air onto Regina's skin and made her squirm slightly again. Then she traced Regina's cute little protruding belly button with the tip of her tongue. Regina was so ridiculously sexy. The pregnancy seemed to only have accentuated how fucking sexy she was. Every part of her was desirable, and Emma decided to remind Regina of this. She knew that the stripes on Regina's belly had made her feel self-conscious over the past few weeks. She had been a little awkward about it in the shower this morning, and Emma simply wouldn't have it. She wanted Regina to know that she found every part of her to be ridiculously sexy. Her changing body was sexy. The stretch marks were sexy. Her round belly was sexy. Emma did not hesitate to silently show Regina this as she began dotting kisses all over Regina's belly.

"Mmm," Regina cooed. "That feels really nice."

Emma silently agreed with her girlfriend. This felt really nice for her too. Regina's skin was soft and warm, and this gave her the perfect opportunity to really breathe her in. To feel Regina's skin under her lips. Another thing she had been yearning for for the past four weeks. Basically, she wanted to kiss every inch of Regina's lovely golden skin all through the night. And maybe she could. They weren't in a hurry. There was nothing and nobody that could disturb them.

"_¡Oh mierda, te extrañé!_" Regina hissed.

"Mmm, I've missed you too," Emma murmured against Regina's skin. "So fucking much."

"Keep kissing me," Regina insisted, and Emma chuckled.

"You really like this, don't you?" she sweetly teased.

"_Sí_, I really do," Regina confirmed. "After four weeks of nothing, this feels like heaven, so please, keep going!"

"Always at Milady's service," Emma joked as she resumed the oh-so-difficult task of kissing Regina's lovely skin. She was more than willing to keep this up for the rest of the night if that was what Regina desired. Regina seemed to have slowed down. She wasn't as much in a hurry as she had been thirty seconds ago. Now she seemed more focused on just laying back and enjoying Emma's sweet attention. Of course with the occasional squirms and moans and blurred Spanish words Emma didn't quite understand.

Regina wasn't the only one who was in heaven right now. So was Emma. After four weeks of being separated by that stupid ocean, this was exactly what she needed. What they both needed. Right now, the buildup seemed so much more important than the actual outcome, and Emma dotted kiss after kiss onto Regina's belly. Every time she was certain she had marked every inch, she found a new place to kiss. A new place to smudge her lipstick on. Regina would most certainly need a shower after this, but that was okay. Emma would be more than willing to help her with washing the lipstick marks off her body. The blonde chuckled quietly to herself as she found yet another new place to kiss. Right underneath Regina's belly button. She wasn't quite sure how she had managed to miss that spot until now, but oh well.

Regina cried out softly, and Emma felt her abdomen tense underneath her. Oh, so this was a soft spot. Good to know. Emma kissed the same spot on Regina's belly again. And then again.

Regina hissed again, and Emma figured that she would linger here for a moment before finally continuing down Regina's abdomen. She kissed the spot on Regina's belly again. Slowly dragged her lower lip over it and nuzzled her nose against it. Regina's skin just smelled so fucking good all the time. Another kiss. Another soft sound slipping past Regina's lips. Something that sounded like a mixture between Spanish and English. It had Emma chuckling softly to herself once more. The world probably would not come to an end if she gave this spot a little extra attention. So she kissed it again. Softly and gently. Pace unhurried and tongue almost lazy as she slowly dragged it over Regina's skin and suckled softly. She had no intention of sucking hard enough to leave a mark. She had an inkling that seeing the bruise on Regina's belly probably only would unnerve her come morning. So she simply settled for this gentle teasing. It suited them both. Regina seemed halfway to heaven, sounded fairly delirious, and Emma's head was starting to cloud over with arousal once more. Regina's sounds were more than spurring her on, and she couldn't resist to gently bump her nose against the spot on Regina's belly once more.

"Woah!" Regina suddenly yelped and sat bolt upright in bed so abruptly her belly nearly collided with Emma's head.

Her exclamation had taken Emma completely by surprise, and her first impulse was obviously concern when she saw Regina sit up so abruptly and press a hand to her belly. "What is it?" Emma asked bewildered. "What?! What's going on? What did I do?"

Regina did not answer. She just sat there and stared with a blank look in her eyes. Still with a hand pressed to her belly.

Concern rushed over Emma and made her skin crawl. In a heartbeat, she too had her hand on Regina's growing belly. "Regina, what's happening?!" she asked, almost sharply because of the state of panic she was reaching. "Does it hurt?! Tell me what to do! Do you want me to call an ambulance or-"

"No," Regina finally interrupted Emma's babbling. "I do not need you to call anyone, and nothing hurts."

"Then what's going ON?!" Emma asked almost pleadingly. "What's happening, beautiful girl?!"

"I think..." Regina's eyes were wide as she stared at Emma. "I think the baby is... kicking."

"W-what?" Emma stuttered and blinked. Out of the scenarios that had played out in her head, this was not one of them.

"_¡Dios!_" Regina exclaimed. "There it was again! Right... here." she touched the spot on her belly Emma had just kissed. Then she looked up at Emma again. "You," she said slowly. "Made the baby move!"

"You... you think?" Emma said, still completely bewildered. "That it was because of-"

"What else can it be?" Regina interrupted and shook her head slightly. Now she was laughing. "God, _querida_, can you do witchcraft or something?"

"Uhhh... no, not to my knowledge," Emma said. At this point she was completely dizzy. For a second it felt like her brain refused to take this in, but then the reaction came. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed. "I freaking just made Blueberry MOVE!"

"You... you sure did," Regina said a bit croakily and looked wide-eyed up at Emma. "This is really... unlike anything else I've ever tried."

"I bet," Emma said softly and puffed out a breath when she felt her heart finally slowing down. Regina was not hurt. No reason to panic. "Does it feel... okay?" she moved her hand to the same spot on Regina's belly, fully knowing that she wouldn't be able to feel these first kicks. It would probably be a few weeks before she too would be able to feel them. God damnit.

"It's... It's strange," Regina admitted. "But it's also... nice," she suddenly grinned beamingly at Emma and cupped her cheek. "Thank you, _querida_. For making the baby move. I've been worried because I didn't feel anything, but thanks to you, I do now."

"You're welcome, I guess," Emma laughed. "I had no idea I could do that, but..."

"You're full of surprises," Regina chuckled and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Then she batted her big brown eyes at Emma. "Do you..." she bit her lip, seemed hesitant.

"What?" Emma encouraged.

"Do you think we could... continue now?" Regina asked.

"Oh," Emma said a tad surprised.

Regina immediately scrunched up her nose. "_Lo siento_. Of course it's strange now. Forget I said anything."

"Woah," Emma said, echoing Regina's exclamation from a moment ago. "Hold your horses, beautiful girl. It's definitely not strange, okay? I was just a little surprised, that's all. But of course I want to continue."

"Really?" Regina asked, nose scrunching up again. "I mean... you're not weirded out or anything?"

"Sweetie," Emma said gently as she kissed Regina's cheek. "You're pregnant. Stuff like this was pretty much bound to happen sooner or later. No, I didn't expect it to happen right now, but I can definitely roll with it. As long as you're comfortable."

"I will be. If we could just... you know."

"I can definitely do 'you know'," Emma softly laughed, careful to show Regina that she was not laughing AT her. "Lie back and relax."

Regina did just that, and soon Emma was kissing her abdomen again. At least she was until Regina squirmed a little again.

Emma lifted her head and inquired: "still going on?"

"_Sí_."

"Gotcha. I'll find a different spot. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried at all," Regina said strained and the muscles in her thighs flexed.

Feeling delirious for more reasons than just one, Emma took her attention lower, and soon enough, she did indeed find a 'different spot'. One that had Regina crying out and cursing in Spanish in a most delightful manner...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

Feliz cumpleaños= happy birthday.

Tal vez= Perhaps.

¿Baila conmigo, cumpleañera?= Dance with me, birthday girl?

Eres una chica mala= You're a bad girl.

Llevame a la cama= Take me to bed.

Mi hermosa Emma= My beautiful Emma.

Mierda= Shit.

¡Oh mierda, te extrañé!= Oh shit, I've missed you!

¡Dios!= God!


	41. Chapter 41

"_¿Qué estás haciendo? ¿Estás intentando convertirte en bailarina?_"

Hearing Spanish words being uttered as the first thing in the morning was fucking marvelous. Emma opened one eye and tried to focus on the blurry shape that was Regina. After a few attempts she succeeded, and the blurry shape turned into a crystal clear and rather lovely image. Regina naked as a jaybird. Dark hair fanning out on the pillow and hands cradling her swelling belly. Her fingers seemed to trace the bump, and she clearly hadn't noticed that Emma had woken up.

"_¿Estás entrenando para los Juegos Olímpicos o algo así?_" she asked as she gave her belly a light tap with her fingertip. Then she laughed heartedly.

"Goo' morning," Emma rasped sleepily and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

Regina turned her head. "Oh. Good morning, _querida_. Are you already awake?"

"Yep, and clearly missing out on the good stuff," Emma quipped as she slid closer to her girlfriend. "Whacha doin'?"

"Waking up?" Regina offered and swiped a lock of hair away from her pretty face.

"And having a conversation too," Emma chuckled and put a hand on top of the one of Regina's that were still resting on her belly. "What are you two talking about?"

"Just idle gossip," Regina joked. "I was asking if he or she is training to become a dancer."

Emma chuckled again. "Is that what it feels like?"

"No. But I have a feeling that it will."

"Oh." Emma moved her hand from Regina's so she could rub her belly slightly. "Is Blueberry kicking right now then?"

"_Sí_."

Emma shifted a bit in bed. "How does it feel?" she asked curiously.

"It feels like..." Regina turned around and gave Emma's bare stomach a light prod with her fingertip. "A bit like that. Only coming from inside of... well, me."

Emma laughed.

"It's actually pretty weird," Regina continued and wrinkled her nose. "I mean, when you're not used to it."

"I bet," Emma chuckled and pecked Regina's forehead.

"But I'm sure I'll get used to it soon," Regina said and stretched her legs.

"Yeah."

That little wrinkle appeared between Regina's eyes. "But I'm worried about something, though."

"Okay?" Emma almost sat up in bed at that. "What are you worried about? Does something hurt?"

"No," Regina snorted. "You are permanently concerned, you know that?"

"I'm only concerned when you're worried about something," Emma dismissed. "Now spill it. What is it that you're worried about?"

"Well..." Regina bit her lip slightly. "Maybe it's silly..."

"I doubt it. Come on. Tell me. Pleeeaaase?"

That had Regina laughing for a moment before going serious and slightly pink-cheeked. "I was just wondering... What's gonna happen when we both can feel the baby moving?"

"I'm actually looking forward to that," Emma replied, slightly confused. "I wanna be a part of the fun too."

"Sure, but what if-" Regina blushed harder than ever.

"What if what, sweetheart?"

Regina took a breath. "What if he or she starts moving while we're... you know."

"Oh," Emma chuckled. But only until she realized that Regina was not sharing her amusement. "Sorry," she amended, scolding her features into something more serious. "I didn't mean to poke fun at you, sweetheart."

"Then why does it feel like that's exactly what you did?" Regina pouted.

Emma wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I'm sorry, babe. I really am. Don't hate me, please?"

Regina laughed then. "Very funny, _querida_."

"And to answer your question," Emma continued, giving Regina a little squeeze. "If Blueberry was to move when we're doing *things*..." she waggled an eyebrow. "I'd kiss your belly and tell Blueberry that what's going on is between you and me and that he or she might just as well go to sleep."

Regina chuckled again. "Isn't it gonna be like... weird? Aren't you gonna get freaked out by it?"

"Nope," Emma said plainly and gave Regina's belly a fond rub. "Why? Have you been laying awake all night and wondering about it?"

"No. Not... all night."

Emma groaned. "Next time you poke me until I wake up and then you ask me, okay? I refuse to be the reason why my pregnant girlfriend lies awake half of the night."

"It wasn't because of you."

"It was because of a question directed at me," Emma said stubbornly. "So I'm indirectly responsible."

"You are n-"

"Shh," Emma said simply and put her finger over Regina's lips.

Regina got a certain twinkle in her eyes, and then she pursed her lips slightly so she could kiss Emma's finger.

"Aww," Emma cooed. "That was cute."

"I know," Regina joked. Then she scrunched up her nose again. "Blueberry keeps poking me."

Emma grinned. "Must be interesting waking up to."

"Very," Regina nodded. "But not as interesting as it was last night. You made him or her kick."

"You seriously think it was because of me?" Emma asked. Totally not feeling cocky because of it.

"_Sí_, I really do, _querida_," Regina said softly. "Of course it was because of you. What else could it be?"

"The moon's position on the sky?" Emma goofily suggested and earned herself an eyeroll.

"No, _querida_. I definitely think it was because of-" Regina interrupted herself and did something that could only be described as giggling, and it didn't take Emma long to figure out why. Regina's stomach was grumbling and rumbling like a little machine.

"Someone's hungry," Emma said warmly and patted Regina's belly.

"Mhmm. I worked hard last night," Regina teased. "We both did."

"Oh yeah," Emma agreed a tad dreamily as she allowed the memories of last night to fill her. God, that had been wonderful. Explosively wonderful. She was a bit sore in certain places, and she had a feeling that Regina was too. "You know," she said as she wrapped a strand of Regina's long hair around her finger. "You look really cute with sex-hair..."

"I do not have sex-hair," Regina protested and huffed.

"You totally do," Emma smirked. Seriously, the impressive bedhead Regina was showing off right now could only be described as post sex-hair.

Regina muttered something in Spanish. Emma didn't quite understand what it meant, but judging by the tone, it was at least mildly offending. "Be nice," she mock threatened.

"What if I don't want to be nice?" Regina asked rhetorically and sat up in bed. The covers slipped, and Emma was treated to somewhat of an eyeful when Regina stretched her arms above her head in a rather dramatic fashion that lifted certain things. Emma licked her lips, but Regina didn't seem to notice it. She was much too busy pondering. "Why is sex so good when you're pregnant?" she asked.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been pregnant," Emma quipped.

"I mean, of course it was fantastic before as well," Regina quickly amended. "But I still feel like certain things are more... intense."

"Your orgasms?" Emma slyly offered.

"_Sí_. Exactly."

Emma smirked. "It's all those delicious hormones, babe."

"It must be." Regina got out of bed and made a face. "Ouch. Stupid back."

"Oh no," Emma winced on her girlfriend's behalf. "Is it very sore?"

"Not very. But I think I've been laying in the same position for too long." Regina smirked at her.

"Yeah, that might be it," Emma chuckled. Oh yes, Regina had definitely been in the same position for quite a while last night. And it had been absolutely delicious. Regina trotted over to the door and grabbed Emma's robe. Slipped her arms through it and tied it around herself.

Emma chuckled. Couldn't help it. Regina's belly was literally poking out under the robe.

"What?" Regina scowled. She narrowed her eyes. "Are you laughing at my belly, _querida_?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. But only because it's cute," Emma defended.

Regina did her best to keep scowling at her, but she ended up laughing instead. She smoothened a hand over her belly and mumbled something in Spanish.

"Kicking again?" Emma guessed.

"More like popping popcorn," Regina corrected.

"Seriously? That's really how it feels?"

"Mmm. I can't wait for you to feel it too, _querida_." Regina snapped her fingers. "Oh! That reminds me that I have to text Alessandra and Sofía. They're gonna be so happy and excited."

"I bet," Emma said. "What are they up to this week?"

"I think mostly work," Regina replied as she brushed her hair away from her face. "But I know that they'll be busy planning a baby shower next weekend."

"A baby shower?" the question popped out of Emma's mouth before she could stop herself.

"Mhmm," Regina said lightly.

Emma tilted her head. "Are you going to be there for it?"

"No." Regina fiddled with her hair. "It'll just be for Sofía and Alessandra."

Emma honestly didn't know what to say about that, so she ended up saying: "right."

Being the perceptive, smart young woman that she was, it did not take long before Regina caught what was going on in Emma's head. "I don't think it would have been appropriate for me to be there, _querida_. It's... It's not about me. It's about Sofía and Alessandra's baby."

Honest to god, that rubbed Emma the wrong way even though she knew she had no right to feel affronted by this. Having a baby shower was something that most soon-to-be-parents did. Of course that should not be any different for the parents who adopted. Of course they'd want to share a special day with friends and family where they received presents to prepare for the baby. But still... There would be no pregnant woman to be the center of attention at the baby shower... Emma told herself to stop being such an idiot about it. Of course Sofía and Alessandra should have a baby shower.

"I was invited," Regina said quietly and looked straight ahead at nothing in particular. "But I declined. Do you think that was rude of me?"

"Well..." Emma gently cupped Regina's elbows. "Do you want to go?"

"No," Regina said immediately. "I don't... I think that would have been... odd. I mean, I'm not the..." she trailed off. Cleared her throat. "As I said, it's not about me. It's about Alessandra and Sofía and their baby. They're the ones to receive the gifts and all. I'm just the-" she gestured oddly. "_Horno_."

"You're the what now?"

"Oven," Regina translated. "I'm the oven." Her dark eyes did that thing were they became sort of unfocused. She stared at nothing as her hands wandered up and cradled her belly.

"Hey," Emma said gently and tapped Regina's chin. "You're not 'just the _horno_'. You're a woman making an incredibly brave decision, okay? Don't call yourself just an oven. You are not less because you are doing this." she leaned in and kissed Regina gently on the mouth. "You're amazing. The strongest woman I've ever met. Please don't ever think anything else." She kissed Regina again.

Regina lifted her chin slightly, and her arms winded around Emma's neck. Which could have been very nice if it hadn't been for the way Emma could feel her chin tremble slightly. Was Regina upset? Oh, god no!

She broke the kiss, looked at her girlfriend. "Hey. What's going on in that magnificent head of yours?" she asked. Regina's gaze was still unfocused.

But then Regina seemed to snap out of whatever funk she was in. "_Nada_," she said quickly and flashed Emma a smile. "Nothing's going on, _querida_."

"Are you upset?" Emma asked. A simple question.

"No," Regina said immediately. "I'm not upset."

Emma tilted her head. Was she lying? Regina looked fairly calm now. No unfocused eyes. No trembling chin. Shit, Emma could not read the expression on her face at all. "Anyway," Regina said briskly. "Let's head downstairs and have some dinner, _sí_? I'm getting really hungry."

"Alright," Emma said, acknowledging that she had no choice but to let this go. "What do you want for breakfast, beautiful girl? You can have whatever you want."

"Bacon!" Regina said without skipping a beat. Then she chuckled sheepishly. "_Lo siento._ I'm just really hungry."

"Alright then. Let's head downstairs and make some bacon for you," Emma said...

Regina looked almost unreasonably happy when she ate the last piece of bacon. She wiped her lips with a napkin and then went 'mmm!'

"Good?" Emma asked goofily because she already knew the answer. She smirked: "That delightful reenactment of the sandwich scene from_ When Harry Met Sally_ certainly suggests so..."

Regina blushed a little. "_Cállate..._"

Emma mock-gasped. "So rude!"

Regina just winked at her. That sly little minx.

"But it _was_ good though, right?" Emma asked. Just to check.

"Delicious," Regina assured and smiled. She licked her lips and stretched her arms above her head. "All of this is perfect. First, we had a great time celebrating your birthday, and then this delicious breakfast..."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, it was really fun being out last night wasn't it?"

"Indeed it was." Regina chuckled. "It was really nice being in a bar where I'm not the one who has to make the drinks..."

"And being flirted with by the customers," Emma teased lightly.

Regina poked out her bottom lip. "The customers do not flirt with me, _querida_."

Emma raised an eyebrow in polite disagreement. "Riiiiight..."

"At least they haven't recently," Regina amended and rolled her dark eyes. "One look at this-" she patted her growing belly a little. "And they suddenly thank me for the drink instead of asking me if I'm on the menu too..."

Emma spluttered. "They seriously say that to you?!"

"Some on of them." Regina shrugged, patted her belly again. "Some of them are more... impolite, shall we say. Depends on how drunk they are... But anyway," she gave her belly a little rub now. "Blueberry is an excellent flirt-repellant."

"Me being the exception, right?"

"_Sí_, mi amor. You being the exception. In fact Blueberry prefers if you flirt with me." She wrinkled her nose. "Wait... that sounded weird, didn't it?"

"Nope, not at all," Emma smiled, satisfied with that. She took a sip of her coffee while Regina helped herself to some orange juice. She had to take her prenatal vitamins with something, and right now she had a thing for orange juice. Emma suspected that was the latest craving.

"What do you wanna do today, _querida_?" Regina asked once she had gobbled down the pill and the orange juice.

"Hmm, I don't know, I feel kinda lazy," Emma admitted. And a bit boneless after last night, but she did not tell Regina that. "Maybe we could have a chill day or something?"

"That sounds nice. I might fall asleep, but..."

"Then fall asleep, beautiful girl. I don't mind," Emma assured.

"_I_ mind," Regina scowled, bottom lip jutting out again. "I came here to spend time with you. Not sleep."

Emma reached out and put a hand over her girlfriend's. "We're still together when you sleep. Because I'm not planning on leaving the room, so..."

"You're gonna watch me sleep?"

"Yup..."

"That's creepy, _mi amor_."

"It is not," Emma dismissed. "But I was thinking tomorrow..."

"_Sí_?"

"If the weather isn't too bad, we could have a picnic in the park?" Emma suggested. "We could whip up some sandwiches and find a blanket..."

"That sounds really nice," Regina said warmly. "I'd love that. But you also have to prepare for New York."

"New York?" Emma was confused for a second, but then she remembered. "Oh, right. Yeah. The meeting with the gallerist."

"_Sí_," Regina chuckled. "Don't tell me you forgot?"

"No, of course not," Emma protested. Lies. She had completely and utterly forgotten. She still wanted to go. Though not as much as she had wanted to. Because of Regina. Emma's original plan had been that Regina would go with her to New York, but after having met up with her, seen her size and realize how quickly she got tired, Emma wasn't so sure dragging Regina to New York was such a good idea. Regina needed rest. Not running around in some big city. Traveling was stressful. Emma didn't want to add more stress in Regina's life. She'd had plenty of that already. But she didn't want to suggest Regina that she stayed home. Not quite yet. Because Emma wasn't quite sure how to break the idea to her. Regina would get so disappointed. Emma hated disappointed her.

"I have an idea, _querida_," Regina said and pulled Emma out of her thoughts.

"Okay?" Emma said. "Something you wanna share with the class?"

"Funny." Regina rolled her dark eyes. "I was just thinking... there's a really big bathtub upstairs."

"So there is," Emma confirmed and smirked. She already liked where this was going.

"And there isn't one in my apartment," Regina continued. "I can't remember the last time I could soak in a tub..."

"I see," Emma chuckled. "A soak in the tub it is then. Suits me fine. I could use some downtime in the tub. I have a bit of a headache after last night..."

"It's all those shots," Regina teased lightly.

"Probably, yeah."

"Sometimes I miss that."

"What? Getting a headache because you've had too many shots?"

Regina chortled. "No. I meant... drinking."

"And smoking?" Emma guessed.

"No." Regina pulled a face. "I've decided that I won't start smoking again once I've given birth. My dad is right. It's bad for me. But speaking of birth..." she rubbed her belly again. "I should probably look into those Lamaze classes soon."

"_We_ should look into those Lamaze classes soon," Emma corrected.

"We," Regina agreed. "Do you really still want to go with me? I don't think hearing about how I'm supposed to breathe is all that interesting."

"I actually happen to find it REALLY interesting."

"What about the other stuff?" Regina asked, making a face again.

"What other stuff, sweetheart?"

"You know, the... labor stuff. Pain handling. Pain relief. Breathing techniques. Which position I should be in during the birth. You know... that kind of stuff. That's not interesting for you to hear about."

"Actually, it is," Emma said softly. "I am VERY interested in knowing exactly where and how I should massage you when it hurts."

Regina tilted her head. "You'll do that?"

"Of course I will, yeah. Totally. Unless you tell me to stay the fuck away from you, of course," Emma laughed and had expected the same reaction from Regina, so she was surprised and immediately concerned when she saw Regina's dark eyes well up with tears. As quickly as she could, Emma outstretched a hand and put it over Regina's. "Hey. It's alright."

"_Lo siento_. Hormones," Regina groaned. "Happens all the time. You remember that cat commercial I told you about."

Emma chuckled softly. "Indeed I do." She patted Regina's hand. "Do you need a tissue or something?"

"No," Regina grumbled. "I do not need a tissue."

"Alright. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Alright. Shall we clear the table then?" Emma suggested and winked. "So we can go upstairs and get in that bath?"

That elicited a smile from Regina. "_Sí_. The faster the better."

Emma fully shared that mindset, and for once, she did not complain at the speed her pregnant girlfriend was moving in...

"I vote we kick off every morning like this," Emma said firmly twenty minutes later. She and Regina were laying in the bath. Emma was resting her head and back against the tub, and Regina was leaning back against Emma.

"Mmm, good idea, _mi amor_," Regina hummed. "Although this might not be my most flattering angle..."

"All your angles are flattering," Emma brushed her off and rubbed the side of Regina's belly. It looked so cute all covered in bubbles and belly button poking out like that.

"Here we go again," Regina muttered and did a little wiggle in the water.

"Blueberry kicking again?" Emma guessed.

"_Sí_. It's every time you touch my belly," Regina said.

"Don't you think it's just a coincidence?" Emma suggested.

"Of course not, _querida_. I can literally feel the baby move right underneath your hand."

"Really?" Emma said softly. "That's... wow." Maybe Regina was the 'hormonal' one, but Emma felt her throat tighten dangerously. The baby inside Regina moved every time Emma touched her belly. That was really... something.

"_Me gusta estar embarazada_."

"Sorry?" Emma was immediately brought back to reality.

"I said... I like being pregnant," Regina quietly translated. "Which probably sounds weird, doesn't it?"

"No, I don't think it does. Not at all."

"I like that it has made me... more mature, I guess," Regina mused. "And I like that is has made me closer with my dad. And it certainly has shown me who's really in my corner." Her voice darkened, and even though she never said Cora Mills' name out loud, Emma knew that she was who Regina was thinking about.

"And let's be honest," Regina continued, voice light now. "It is interesting to feel a teeny tiny human being move about inside you."

"I bet it is," Emma chuckled and gave Regina's shoulders a gentle rub.

"Oh, that feels nice. Do it again, please?"

Emma did it again, and Regina almost cooed. "That's really, really nice!"

"Your shoulders are all tight," Emma commented. "Guess you really DID sleep funny last night, huh?"

"_Sí_, I guess I did. Or perhaps I'm simply not as flexible as I once was."

"That is so not true. The way you danced at the Rabbit Hole last night... That was exactly like meeting you for the first time in Spain."

Regina chuckled. "I was blatantly flirting with you."

"Yes, you were. And I appreciated it."

"And I appreciate this too," Regina assured and wiggled a little, sending the water splashing over the edges of the tub. "Oops."

"Don't worry about it. I'll wipe it up later. Just make yourself comfortable, beautiful girl."

"I don't think it's possible to be more comfortable than I am right now," Regina joked.

"Well, I'll have you know that I'M pretty comfortable too..."

"You're sure? I'm not like... crushing you?"

"No," Emma huffed as she kneed a particular hard muscle in Regina's shoulder. "Right now I have my naked girlfriend covered in bubbles. Damn right, I'm comfortable!"

"_Eres tan tonta_..."

"I'm not sure what that means, but sure."

Regina laughed, and Emma was immediately suspicious. "Wait, did you just say something rude to me?"

"No, of course not," Regina said so innocently Emma only grew more suspicious. "You're sure? For some reason I don't believe you..."

Regina mock-gasped. "The baby is kicking again!"

"Cute. Real cute. You're trying to distract me. And it's working." Emma abandoned Regina's shoulders to gently touch her belly instead. "I so wish that I could feel it too."

"You'll be able to soon," Regina soothed. "And I can't wait for you to feel it too. It's quite the experience."

"But I still have to wait a couple of weeks or something, right?" Emma complained.

"_Sí_, that's right," Regina confirmed. "But then you'll be able to feel it. And Alessandra and Sofía, of course. They'll be able to feel it too..." her voice trailed off, and Emma squeezed her shoulders again. "Are you thinking about that baby shower again?" she asked softly.

"No," Regina said firmly. "Because there's nothing to think about. Of course they want a baby shower. It's only natural."

"It is, but if you're upset about it-"

"I'm not. I've... I've made my choice, Emma. And I chose Alessandra and Sofía. And I'm glad I did. They're going to be wonderful mothers, both of them."

Emma held her tongue and did not say what she was thinking. That Regina too would have been a wonderful mother.

"I guess it's just... getting closer, you know? The birth and everything," Regina said after a moment of silence. "I'm getting nervous about it and Sofía and Alessandra has been texting me so many times and asked if I've felt any movement yet, and every time I said no, it felt like I was disappointing them or something. And I was afraid that there was something wrong with Blueberry."

"You haven't told me any of this," Emma said softly and stroked Regina's hair. "Do you feel pressured by Sofía and Alessandra?"

"No," Regina said immediately. "No, of course not. They've just been excited and curious, that's all."

"And they're totally allowed to," Emma agreed. "But not in a way that stresses you out. That's definitely not good for you nor Blueberry."

"We're fine," Regina assured. "I texted them and told them that I've felt Blueberry kick, so it's all good."

"Okay." Emma dropped the subject. And hoped that Regina was being truthful.

"Also, speaking of things I haven't told you..." Regina said sheepishly.

"Yeah?"

"I've... I've noticed a red car holding parked while I'm at work," Regina said.

Emma growled. "If I find out it's that bitch Marian again, I swear I'm gonna-"

"I don't know if it's her," Regina interrupted. "The car always disappear when my father arrives to pick me up. So it might not be her. Maybe it's just a coincidence. That's why I haven't mentioned it to you."

"Coincidence or not, there are so many reasons why you should stay in Storybrooke forever instead of going back to Spain," Emma grumbled and decided right then and there that she would go back to Spain with Regina. And if she spotted that red car and furthermore found out that Marian was the one driving, well, then-

"Please don't get yourself all worked up now," Regina begged as she turned around, so they were face to face. "I'm right here. And I'm absolutely fine. And I really, desperately need to kiss you."

"I thought you didn't want me to get worked up?" Emma joked as she skated her fingertips up and down Regina's naked back.

"_Besame, Em-ma..._"

And of course Emma could only obey the not so subtle order. She kissed Regina, and right now that was the only thing that mattered. Everything else, even concerns would have to wait a little while longer...

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

¿Qué estás haciendo? ¿Estás intentando convertirte en bailarina?= What are you doing? Are you trying to become a dancer?

¿Estás entrenando para los Juegos Olímpicos o algo así?= Are you training for the Olympics or something?

Cállate= Shut up.

Lo siento= I'm sorry.

Eres tan tonta= You're so silly.

Besame, Em-ma= Kiss me, Emma.


	42. Chapter 42

'_While there is time,_

_Let's go out and feel everything,_

_If you hold me,_

_I will let you into my dreams,_

_For time is a river rolling into nowhere..._'

Emma opened her eyes and listened intensely to the music coming from downstairs. She could hear Regina's voice blend with the singer's, and she thought to herself that this was the best fucking way to be awakened.

'_We must live while we can,_

_And we'll drink our cup of laughter._

_The finer things keeps shining through,_

_The way my soul gets lost in you._

_The finer things I feel in me!_

_The golden dance life could be..._'

Emma chuckled to herself as she rolled out of bed and left the bedroom. Coming into the hallway, she could smell both coffee and something sweet. Pancakes?

She made it downstairs and found Regina in front of the stove. She was indeed making pancakes. She had just flipped the last one onto a plate and now she was leaving the frying pan to cool down before washing it. Her hips were elegantly swaying back and forward, and she was loudly singing along to 'Finer Things'.

Emma felt perfectly happy with lurking in the doorway. Regina was wearing a tanktop and a pair of little pajama shorts. Her long legs were exposed. Her hair was hanging loose and a tad messily down her back. She looked beautiful. And to top of this image of perfection, Emma saw how she rubbed her round belly as she kept singing and dancing. But then she suddenly turned around and faced Emma.

"Good morning," Emma said a tad sheepishly over having been caught lurking.

"'_The finer things keeps shining through_,'" Regina sang as a greeting. "'_The way my soul gets lost in you..._'" she crooked a finger at Emma and made a 'come hither'-motion.

Emma chuckled as she willingly walked towards her energetic and happy girlfriend. As soon as she was within reach, Regina took her hand and spun her around. Apparently, they were the kind of couple who danced in the kitchen now. Emma was completely fine with that. And she was particularly fine when Regina interrupted her singing and leaned in for a quick kiss instead. After having kissed Emma, she spun her around again and effortlessly caught her by the hands.

"Someone's in a good mood today," Emma grinned.

"'_We go so fast, why don't we make it last,_'" Regina sang. "'_Life is glowing inside you and me! Please take my hand, right here where I stand! Won't you come out and dance with me..._'"

"At all times," Emma quipped and mock yelped when she found herself being spun around once more. Regina really was in an excellent mood today. It was lovely to see.

Regina pressed her palms against Emma's, and Emma playfully lifted their hands high in the air. Regina laughed and kept on singing: "'_And lovers try, 'till they get the best of night! And come morning, they are tangled up in the light. So time is a river, rolling into nowhere! And they love while they can, and they think about the night so sweet. The finer things keeps shining through, the way my soul gets lost in you! The finer things I feel in me, the golden dance life could be..._'"

Emma smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. This moment, dancing in the kitchen with Regina for no reason was definitely one of the 'finer things'. Regina was all happy and playful as she lifted her finger and booped Emma's nose once, causing her to laugh.

"You know, we should do this more often," Emma commented.

Regina stopped singing for a moment to say: "we dance all the time, _querida_."

"I meant as the first thing in the morning," Emma quipped and felt all sneaky when she was the one to spin Regina around.

Regina laughed happily. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think Blueberry is dancing too," the younger woman chuckled. "I can feel it. Right... here." she touched a spot just below her belly button.

"Oh man," Emma said as she immediately let her hand wander to the spot on Regina's belly even though she couldn't feel anything yet. "I'm so jealous! I wish I could feel it too."

"Soon, _querida_, soon," Regina smiled. She tapped a finger against her stomach. "Takes the term 'belly dancing' to a completely new level."

"Wow. That was a terrible joke," Emma laughed.

Regina pouted. "It was a great joke!"

"No. Really it wasn't. But it was a cute one for sure." Emma gave her belly a soft little pet. "Hi there, Blue. How's it hanging? You all warm and comfy in there?"

Regina giggled. "That sounds kinda... _bruta_."

"It is not _bruta_," Emma immediately protested. "No part of pregnancy is _bruta_."

"That is just not true," Regina half-laughed. "I could come up with several gross scenarios, but I won't because we're about to have breakfast."

They kept dancing as long as 'Finer Things' lasted, but when it stopped, and the radio in the kitchen switched to playing 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It', Regina looked deeply insulted.

"Looks like that concludes our dancing," Emma observed.

"_Sí_, looks like it," Regina agreed. "And just as well. I've made pancakes."

"I can see that. It's nice but you know you didn't have to, right?"

Regina shrugged. "I wanted to. I feel like you've been waiting on me hand and foot in the past four days I've been here."

"Not true," Emma claimed.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, so maybe I have been a little," Emma admitted. "But I wanted to, so it's all good, right?"

"You don't have to keep doing it, though," Regina said softly.

"I know." But Emma quietly thought to herself that she wasn't gonna stop pampering Regina anytime soon. She enjoyed spoiling her girlfriend rotten, and she was damn well going to continue the good work. That had been her life's mission since coming into that dressing room and seeing a very newly pregnant Regina half asleep by the vanity.

They settled by the table. It turned out that Regina hadn't only made pancakes. She had also made coffee, and Emma praised her for it. "You're like the best girlfriend ever," she said as she sunk her teeth into a golden pancake. It melted on her tongue. Perfect.

Regina snickered. "Just stick with me, kid."

Emma gave her a playful little nudge and of course took the opportunity to push a lock of hair behind Regina's ear.

"What time are we leaving?" Regina asked eagerly.

"Right after breakfast," Emma replied and grinned. "You excited?"

"_Sí_!" Regina said immediately. "I've never had a spa treatment before. The closest thing I come to it, is a visit to the nail salon with Cora when I was seven." She wrinkled her nose. "It wasn't very successful."

"It wasn't?"

"Nah, Cora yelled at me because I wasn't acting 'ladylike'," Regina said without skipping her beat.

"Ah," Emma said and quickly quelled her urge to murder Cora. "Well, I assure you this will be better. The place offers all kind of things. Including prenatal massage."

"That sounds interesting," Regina said and tilted her head rather adorably. "Did you specifically google whether they had that?"

"I... I might have," Emma admitted not to sheepishly. "I wanted to make sure that there was something in it for you to since you can't go into jacuzzies or try any of those heated masks." Anything that could make Regina's temperature go up was off-limit. There was certain risks connected with getting overheated while pregnant. Chemical peels and rough scrubs were also no-no. But the prenatal massage was a very big yes-yes.

"That's very considerate of you," Regina complimented before growing slightly more mischievous: "so do you think I should get a waxing?"

"Uhh..." Emma accidentally snorted whilst having coffee in her mouth. Once done coughing she said: "no, I don't think your skin would appreciate that right now."

Regina made a face. "I might have it done anyway."

"Why?" Emma asked simply.

At that Regina scrunched up her nose. "Uhm... in case you haven't noticed, I'm... growing hair. In... places."

"No, I can honestly say that I have not noticed that," Emma said softly. She did not want Regina to feel insecure in anyway. "And I don't want you to do stuff that hurts."

Regina shot her a look that was an interesting mixture of sympathy and amusement. "Emma, _querida_. You do realize that I have to give birth, right? Now, I'm not trying to alarm you or anything... But I have a distinct feeling that is in fact going to hurt."

"Alright, smartass," Emma scoffed. "I _know_ giving birth hurts, alright? I'm preparing myself for it. Believe me, I'm reading all the books!"

Regina snickered. "You probably know more about the subject than I do."

"Hardly," Emma dismissed. "You've read books too, haven't you?"

"Too many." Regina made a face again. "And I was grossed out the entire time. So. Let's talk about something else. Like... What else can I have done at that spa?"

"Foot massage!" Emma said enthusiastically and grinned like the Cheshire cat. She was almost proud because she was able to offer Regina a professional foot massage. And she wasn't even the mastermind behind it. Ruby and Belle was.

"Ooooh," Regina cooed. "Keep talking."

"You'll get the opportunity to soak your feet for almost twenty minutes," Emma smirkingly told her girlfriend, utterly enjoying the way Regina's eyes shone. "Exfoliate. Foot scrub. _Another_ foot massage. This time focusing on the bottom of your feet. And if you bat those big brown eyes at the massage-expert, you can probably get them to massage your ankles too."

Regina grinned cunningly.

"And then of course there's the whole nail polish thing," Emma continued. "Completely with toe separators and everything. By the time you're done, you'll have the nicest feet in Maine."

"That sounds nice. I'll be looking forward to that," Regina said and tipped her little bottle with prenatal vitamins so she could pop one of them into her mouth.

"And don't forget about the facials," Emma continued as Regina downed the little pill with some orange juice. "That's something you can totally do too."

"New level in our relationship," Regina joked. "You've never seen me in a mud-mask before."

"I'll definitely drink to that!" Emma lifted her cup of coffee. "Cheers, beautiful girl."

"_Salud, mi amor_," Regina smiled as she lifted her glass of orange juice and clinked it with Emma's cup of coffee.

Once breakfast was done, they cleaned the kitchen and then went upstairs to shower. A perfectly innocent co-shower that for once didn't lead to anything beyond a bit of kissing and a few belly rubs curtsey of Emma.

Then they got dressed. The weather looked nippy, so they wrapped up warmly for once. Emma was dreaming of Spanish sunshine and light sundresses as she got dressed in her usual jeans, tanktop and hoodie.

Regina looked as cute as a button in her long red sweater. Her belly was sticking out adorably, and Emma found it really, really hard to keep her hands to herself. Meaning that she wanted to touch Regina's belly all the time. But she had vowed to herself not to do this. Girlfriends or not, it was Regina's body, and Emma more than respected that Regina would want to have her belly in peace once in a while.

"There," Regina said and eyed herself in the mirror once done tying her hair back in a ponytail. "I don't think it'll get much better than this."

"You look adorable."

Regina's nose scrunched up and she puffed out her cheeks as she looked at herself in the mirror. "_¡Soy enorme!_"

"You are adorable," Emma firmly repeated. Yes, Regina was bigger than she once was, that could not be denied. But she big in the most beautiful, cute way imaginable. She was all belly.

"It'll only get worse," Regina sighed and rubbed her belly.

"More of you to love," Emma reminded her as she gently wrapped her arms around Regina from behind.

"You're very sweet," Regina chuckled. "And we're pretty much ready to go, aren't we?"

"Yup, pretty much."

"Great. I just have to make two phone calls real quickly. Is that alright?"

"Knock yourself out," Emma joked as she went over to the bed and dramatically flopped down on it. "I'll just be lounging right here."

Regina rolled her eyes.

It turned out that the first phone call Regina had to make was one that was in vain. Neither Sofía nor Alessandra were picking up. "They must be busy," Regina concluded as she tapped on her phone. "I'll try dad then. If he doesn't pick up either, I'll get really insulted!"

Emma chuckled. "Hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman scorned, huh?"

"_Sí_, something like that," Regina nodded as she dialed her dad's number and brought the phone up to her ear. She made a point of exaggerating as she waited. She rolled her dark eyes and wrapped a strand of hair around her fingers. Shifted her weight.

"You are so extra," Emma teased.

"I'm Latina," Regina said with that deadpan dry humor she mastered so beautifully. If it hadn't been because she currently was dialing her father, Emma would have told her that she was dreadfully sexy. Pregnancy had clearly turned Regina's sass-o-meter up with a few billion degrees.

Now the blonde settled for a: "not picking up either, huh?"

"He better," Regina said mock-seriously. "He's the one to constantly text and call _me_. Which of course is sweet, and I appreciate it a lot."

"You're such a daddy's girl," Emma said warmly. "It's adorable."

Regina looked like she could have come up with another deadpan answer, but then her face lit up in a smile as she said: "_Hola papi! ¿Cómo estás?_". Henry's answer was clearly a positive one. Regina's smile widened. "_Eso suena bien_. _Sí, yo también lo estoy haciendo bien. Muy bien_." One of her hands wandered up to cradle her belly. "Mhmm. _Sí_. _Nosotras vamos a_\- _¿Que?_ _De Verdad? Interesante._"

Emma cocked her head. She too found this to be 'interesante'. She was particularly interested in why Regina was currently frowning like that. She looked a bit too serious for a chitchat with her dad.

Then Regina laughed. A very soft laughter. "_Bueno, ese no es mi problema. No estoy ahí. Y para cuando llegue a casa, probablemente no estará interesada en mí. __No estoy preocupada en absoluto_." She straightened her back. "_Lo que elija hacer Marian no es mi problema_."

_Marian. _Emma's hands automatically clenched into fists. What had that bitch done now?!

"_Tengo que irme, papi. Emma y yo vamos al spa hoy. Te llamaré mañana. Si. Si. Lo prometo.__Te amo también . Sí, le diré a Emma que dijiste hola. Adiós_." With that Regina concluded the conversation and slipped the phone back in her little purse. "Daddy sends his love," she told Emma.

"Thanks. What was that about Marian?" Emma asked quickly.

"Oh, that," Regina lifted her shoulders slightly. "Apparently, my dad has seen her daytime drink in the bar I work in."

"That bitch!" Emma spat. "That hag! What's she trying to do? Threaten you? Is she attempting to somehow intimate you or what?!"

"If that's the case, she's not doing a very good job seeing that I'm not home. And I don't think I would be drinking either if I was trying to intimidate someone," Regina said lightly.

Emma measured her girlfriend from head to toe. "You sound very calm about this."

Regina lifted her shoulders again. "You know what? I actually feel kind of sorry for her..."

"_What_?!" Emma snapped. "She slapped-"

"_Lo sé_," Regina gently interrupted. "_Lo sé_, but still... I can't imagine what it must be like to be in her position. Being married to a man who doesn't even as much as blink before he lies about his marital status to get in bed with a waitress he barely knows. I know I'm guilty in that matter too. Jumping to bed with a strange guy, not exactly my finest move. But still, I believe I am less guilty than he is. I was a single woman. And I had no reason to believe he lied about whether he was married or not. Maybe I should have asked more thoroughly, but he still fucked up more than I did. And Marian is married to that pig. She must have been completely devastated when she found what he did to her. Maybe it wasn't the first time. And while I definitely don't condone her coming after me-" she chuckled dryly. "I think I understand why she's doing it. I'm a stranger. It's easy to be mad at stranger. Maybe she doesn't believe that I didn't know he was married. Or perhaps Robin has lied and claimed that I _did_ know. I wouldn't put it past him to lie about every little thing that could potentially cover his ass just a little. He's a cheater and a liar. _And _someone who have no qualms about suggesting abortion like he would ask what's for dinner. He had the nerve to tell me not to bother his family when he's the one who has torn his family apart. He didn't give two shits about his wife or son when he went to bed with me. He had absolutely no problem with betraying Marian. So yeah, I feel sorry for her."

"You are too good," Emma said as she walked over and gave Regina hug and a kiss on the cheek. "But honey, she _hit_ you. And if I ever see her again, I'm gonna kick her ass all the way to Barcelona!"

Regina chuckled. "Let's hope it won't come to that. Let's hope she'll find another bar to daytime drink in, and-" she frowned slightly. "We should get going! I don't wanna miss my massage!"

"No, that would be _awful_," Emma half-joked and took Regina by the hand. "Come on, _mi amor_, let's get going!"

Regina laughed as they left the bedroom and went down the stairs.

Emma was of course worried about the whole Marian situation, but for right now, she pushed that worry aside so she could have a good time with her girlfriend...

It had been a while since Emma last had been at the spa, but it looked exactly as nice as it always did. She and Regina were welcomed by a smiling receptionist who pointed them to a room where they could change into a robe and slippers. Emma had been tempted to fuss and ask the receptionist that no one treated Regina with something that involved harsh chemicals, but then she remembered that Regina was perfectly capable of saying that herself. Emma had to stop acting like an overprotecting fool. Difficult since she was still fuming because of Marian's reappearance.

"I want to wear this every day," Regina stated simply as she wiggled her slipper-clad feet. "I don't think my feet has ever been more comfortable."

Emma chuckled. "They're about to be even more comfortable later when we're having our feet rubbed. What do you wanna do first? Facial?"

"That sounds good. My face could use some attention."

"Your face is beautiful," Emma dismissed. "But we might as well take advantage of everything since we're given the full treatment, right?"

"Mhmm," Regina said and pushed her bottom lip out just a little as she reached up and touched her right cheek. "_Espinillas_".

"You do not have any _espinillas__._ That's all in your head. Your skin is literally glowing."

"Cliché," Regina accused. She stopped poking her skin and decided: "you know what, I think I might get that wax treatment anyway."

"Alright. It's your decision," Emma said and bit her tongue not to start yapping on about sensitive skin.

"I _need_ a pair of these to walk around in at home," Regina half-chuckled as she looked down at the fussy slippers covering her feet. "My feet has never been happier."

"I'll buy you a pair," Emma joked.

Regina huffed. "You will not! Our relationship hasn't reached the slipper state yet!"

"What's the slipper state?" Emma asked, half curious, half amused.

"Never heard of the kind of relationship where the wife receives slippers for her birthday?" Regina asked dryly. "And the husband receives a new tie or something equally boring. That's a slipper state."

"Well," Emma chuckled and gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "Good thing there are no husbands here then. And no wives either for that matter..."

Regina blushed a little. "You know what I mean. I was _not_ talking about-"

"I know. I'm just teasing."

"Well, you shouldn't. Teasing a pregnant woman is a sin."

"Right. Got it," Emma grinned and then they headed out to their first treatment...

Their first treatment was indeed a facial. Emma could not remember the last time she had simply laid down and let someone else pamper her. This was absolute heaven.

Regina more than agreed. She was still comfortable with lying on her back, and every time Emma turned her head to peek at her, Regina looked like she was close to melting. Emma looked over there quite a lot. She received a little bit of scolding for it, actually, and of course that prompted Regina to chuckle and tease her.

"You'll end up getting tensions in your neck, _querida_. You're supposed to relax. Not look at me all the time."

"I'm relaxing best when I'm looking at you."

"Cute," Regina said dryly. "Close your eyes and relax, _querida_."

Emma obeyed and closed her eyes. Found it to be very relaxing as the beautician gently massaged products into her skin. It felt very nice to just lie here and be pampered. Not thinking about anything. Not even Marian and her shenanigans. But of course everything just felt a little bit better when she felt Regina reach out and take her hand. Fortunately enough, their beds weren't very far apart.

"Now _this_ is proper couple spa," Emma said happily. She had never been to a couple spa before.

"_Sí_, it's very nice. I wanna do this every day," Regina joked.

"If it was possibly, I'd find a way to make it happen, babe."

"The baby is kicking," Regina stated plainly.

"Really? Right now?"

"No, tomorrow. Yes, right now," Regina laughed.

"Look who's getting sassy," Emma commented. "I like it. But seriously, the baby's kicking right now?"

"Mhmm. I mean, it's only these little flutter kicks, but still, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. I don't think I have popcorn popping inside me. Just a baby. And apparently a very happy one too."

"The kid can probably sense that you're feeling good," Emma said gently. She heard shuffling, and when she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that Regina was the one who had turned her head this time.

"You really think that?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I mean, isn't the baby supposed to be hearing and everything by now?"

"_Sí_. And sucking his thumb."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. Maybe he'll do it at the next ultrasound. That could be kinda fun. For Alessandra and Sofía too."

"Right." Emma turned her head, closed her eyes and feigned relaxation. But actually, she was only thinking about the little word Regina had just said twice. Him.

When their facial was done, Emma swore her skin was baby smooth and soft. Of course Regina had to feel that for herself, so she sweetly brushed her own cheek against Emma's. She confirmed that it indeed felt soft, and Emma told her that the same was the case for her cheek.

Then they had that leg massage. If Regina had looked happy during the facial, she looked completely euphoric during this. The masseuse rubbed her sore ankles and calfs and even gave her a few tips on how to relieve sore and swollen ankles. Regina lapped it all up. She claimed that she needed all the advices she could get.

"You can just leave me right here and come back tomorrow," she joked.

The masseuse laughed.

"That good, huh? Maybe I can pick up some tips."

"Yes, maybe. What are we gonna do afterwards? Are you gonna sit in the jacuzzi?"

"Hmm," Emma chewed the inside of her cheek. "I dunno..."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You don't wanna sit in the jacuzzi? I don't think I've ever heard anyone say no do that."

"I like the jacuzzi," Emma assured. "But I don't like that I can't have you with me in it."

"Oh," Regina chortled. "_Querida_, I want you to sit in the jacuzzi, okay? This is your birthday present. Of course you should do everything."

"But what about you?" Emma asked pathetically.

"I..." Regina said and smirked. "Am going to have that prenatal massage. And it is going to be _fantástica_. So as you can hear, I don't even need you..."

"Why, you little..." Emma did not finish the sentence and laughed heartedly instead. Regina really was particularly sassy today. It was incredibly sexy. Emma got sidetracked.

Regina made a little humming sound as the masseuse started working on her calfs again. She wiggled a little.

"Sorry about that," the masseuse said. "I'll be a little gentler."

"I'm the one who's the problem," Regina half-joked. "My feet and legs are pretty sore."

"I know the feeling," the blonde masseuse nodded. "During my fourth pregnancy, my ankles were so sore all the time."

"Fourth pregnancy?" Regina said and sounded equally impressed and scared. "Wow!"

"Yeah, I was so done being pregnant afterwards," the masseuse chuckled. "Is this your first?"

"Uhm..." Regina wiggled a little and one of her hands wandered to her belly. "Yeah."

"Congratulations," the masseuse smiled. "This is a special time for you."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Regina said vaguely.

Emma quickly scanned her girlfriend's face to see if she was upset. Regina's face was pretty unreadable. She almost looked a bit thoughtful...

After their leg message, Emma and Regina parted ways. Emma changed into the bikini she had brought with her and went towards the jacuzzi. Regina disappeared with another masseuse who was an expert in prenatal massage. Regina looked quite excited about it, and that pleased Emma. If anyone had deserved a day of pampering, it was Regina.

Emma tried not to think about Marian as she sat and soaked in the jacuzzi, but man it was hard! Regina might feel sorry for her, but Emma sure as hell didn't. She did not feel sorry for anyone who had harmed Regina physically or mentally. And Marian just so happened to fall into the first category. _That little_.

No. Emma shook her head. She was supposed to relax. Have a great time and enjoy her birthday present. It was very thoughtful of Ruby and Belle to give her this. And even more so do give her a gift that included Regina. They probably knew by now that Emma preferred doing everything with Regina. She chuckled to herself and hoped that Regina's prenatal massage thing was everything it was cracked up to be. She had so been looking forward to it.

"I don't think Vermont is any better than this," Emma mused out loud. Maybe her parents were having a great time in Vermont, but they surely couldn't be having a better time that she was right now. She was literally so relaxed. So comfy. She was sitting in a jacuzzi, surrounded by warm water. Her skin was soft and baby smooth. Her leg muscles had been replaced with jelly. Or so it felt. That massage had really been effective. And most important, she had Regina here. Well, perhaps not in this jacuzzi, but she was here in Storybrooke, and that was fucking awesome! She still had three days left in Storybrooke, and Emma had a feeling that those were gonna be three awesome days. Saying goodbye to Regina would of course be hard, it always was. But maybe Emma would go back to Spain with her. She could do that. Just for three or four days before going to New York to meet up with that gallery-owner.

Emma tipped her head back and closed her eyes. God, she was so relaxed. Being in this tub almost felt like floating, and she wondered if Regina was floating just as much during that massage. Did Blueberry kick a lot during a prenatal massage? She would have to ask Regina about that later. Emma so wished that she too could feel the baby kicking, but she reminded herself to be patient. It wouldn't be that long before she would be able to feel the baby kick. That would be an amazing experience, Emma was sure of that. She had never felt a baby kick before...

She exhaled and allowed herself to slip further into that relaxed state she was in. This. Was. Absolute. Heaven...

"_Hola, querida_!"

"Holy crap!" Emma exclaimed and nearly ended up with her head under water as she scrambled to sit in a normal position. She had totally fallen asleep in the jacuzzi. Woops.

"Good thing I came by," Regina frowned and sat down in one of the deck chairs that were placed next to the jacuzzi. "You could have drowned."

"Sorry. Won't happen again. How was the massage?"

"Oh, it was fantastic!" Regina beamed. "It was really, really good! And she even gave me a little bit of a neck massage afterwards. It was heaven. Seriously, you have to talk to her and pick up some tips!"

"Aww, did you fall a little bit in love in there?" Emma joked.

"Mhmm," Regina chuckled. "Absolutely. How's the jacuzzi?"

"Sleep inducing. Be grateful you can't be in here. You would have fallen asleep just like that," Emma snapped her fingers to emphasize.

"Sounds dangerous," Regina nodded. "I guess I'll just stay right here and look at you. That's not too bad either. You look so nice in that bikini, _querida_."

"Flirt," Emma accused and snickered. This had been a good day...

**To Be Continued...**

(A/N: the attentive reader will notice that the chapters has become somewhat shorter and more domestic. That is because we're buckling up for some more drama. Stay tuned)

Spanish translations:

bruta= gross

Salud, mi amor= Cheers, my love.

¡Soy enorme!= I'm huge!

"Hola papi! ¿Cómo estás?= Hey daddy, how are you?

Eso suena bien. Sí, yo también lo estoy haciendo bien. Muy bien= That sounds good. Yes, I am doing well too. very good.

Sí. Nosotras vamos a- ¿Que? De Verdad? Interesante= Yes. We are going to- What? Really? Interesting.

Bueno, ese no es mi problema. No estoy ahí. Y para cuando llegue a casa, probablemente no estará interesada en mí. No estoy preocupada en absoluto= Well that's not my problem. I'm not there. And by the time I get home, she probably won't be interested in me. I am not worried at all.

Lo que elija hacer Marian no es mi problema= What Marian chooses to do is not my problem.

Tengo que irme, papi. Emma y yo vamos al spa hoy. Te llamaré mañana. Si. Si. Lo prometo. Te amo también . Sí, le diré a Emma que dijiste hola. Adiós= I have to go, daddy. Emma and I are going to the spa today. I will call you tomorrow. Yes. Yes. I promise. I love you too . Yes, I'll tell Emma you said hello. Goodbye.

Lo sé= I know.

Espinillas= pimples.


	43. Chapter 43

"Holy fucking shit, that was amazing!" Emma groaned as she slumped back against the mattress and unsuccessfully tried to catch her breath.

"_Sí_, I have a very talented tongue," Regina drawled once she had emerged from in between Emma's thighs.

Emma laughed breathlessly. "Fuck, I love when you go all sassy. It's so sexy!"

"Mmm," was all Regina said as she nonchalantly wiped her mouth with her thumb. "_¡Eso fue divertido!_"

"Understatement," Emma croaked and let out a ragged breath. The muscles in her thighs were still clenching.

"And apparently, I'm your god," Regina smugly continued and snickered.

"Shut up," Emma groaned even though there was a teeny tiny chance she _might_ have said that.

Naturally, Regina did not shut up. She kept laughing, and Emma would definitely have come up with some sort of creative way to make her shut up if she had had enough strength. But unfortunately, she didn't. And so Regina kept laughing. Until she didn't anymore. Suddenly, her face contorted in something that was very close to pain. "Urgh, I don't think this position is working anymore," she wincingly declared as she shifted to lie on her side instead.

"That's what she said," Emma chuckled and felt incredibly funny.

Regina on the other hand, looked completely unamused as she raised an eyebrow and just shook her head ever so slightly without even commenting on what Emma had just said.

"Aww, come on," Emma teased. "You totally sat yourself up for that one!"

"I really, really did not," Regina said flatly.

"Yes, you did."

"No, _querida_. I didn't. It would appear that your sense of humor disappears along with your strength. Maybe I'm a little TOO good."

"And maybe you're a smug asshole?" Emma innocently suggested.

Regina adopted an expression that was positively dangerous. "You've got some nerve to insult your pregnant girlfriend after she just made you this happy."

"You're right," Emma chortled. "A thousand apologies, Your Majesty."

"'Your Majesty?" Regina echoed and raised an eyebrow.

"Mmm. Your name means 'queen'," Emma said simply as though it was explanation enough.

And Regina didn't search for further clarification. She just said 'right', and then proceeded to do an odd little wiggly-dance on the mattress, not unlike the 'wiggly-dance' Emma had done a moment ago when Regina was between her legs.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked and tried not to laugh.

"My belly is itching," Regina stated. "And I have to pee."

Now Emma DID chuckle. "Alright then. Off you go. And bring that cream back here. I need to learn exactly how to apply it."

Regina rolled her eyes as she got out of bed. Maybe she had gotten up too fast, or maybe her balance was challenged, because she ended up doing a little stumble that almost sent her sideways into Emma's dresser. "Oops," she laughed.

"Careful!" Emma barked.

"Am I drunk or pregnant?" Regina joked as she regained balance and ran a finger through her hair. "This does remind me of the time where I was stumbling home one night..."

"No more stumbling, please. I want you back from the bathroom in one piece!" Emma ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Regina said silkily and elegantly swayed her hips from side to side as she left Emma's room.

Emma grinned to herself and stretched out her long body. She gave a content sigh when she felt a joint pop satisfyingly somewhere. She needed that. She was a bit sore here and there. But in the best way possibly. It was hard to believe that Regina had been here for a week already. Tomorrow Emma's parents were coming home from their trip to Vermont. Emma had a plan of surprising them with a nice dinner when they came home. Well, actually it had been Regina's idea. She was the one who had suggested that they should make a nice dinner for Emma's parents when they came home, and Emma had of course fawned over how wonderfully considerate that was. Emma pouted a little. As always, she was not ready to say goodbye to Regina the day after tomorrow. As always, time had flown by way too quickly. They've had such a wonderful time. They had watched cheesy romcoms from the nineties. Regina had cried to a few of them. They had gone out for dinner. Stayed in for dinner. One night Regina had cooked for Emma. She had made a spicy paella with meat, fish and seafood. The warm, spicy flavor had made Emma's taste buds sing, and she had joked that she'd a foodgasm. Regina had taken that as the highest compliment, and she had looked utterly proud and satisfied with herself. Then she had stated (with a grin) that she liked playing house. Emma had laughed heartedly, but quietly acknowledged that that was in fact what she and Regina were doing. Playing house. And she enjoyed it immensely.

Emma rolled onto her side and pulled the covers with her. Goosebumps had started growing up her ass, and she wasn't interested in having them spreading any further. It was nine thirty in the morning, and they really should be getting out of bed. But Emma simply couldn't find the strength to get up. She couldn't be bothered to take a shower or get dressed. Perhaps she and Regina would just be enormously unproductive today. And maybe that was totally okay. Emma snickered to herself. Maybe she could even convince Regina to stay in bed all day. That would be glorious.

She heard the door to the bathroom being opened, but she was left deeply disappointed when she saw Regina's nude form slip past the door and further down the hallway. "Hey, where are you going?" she complained. "Come back!"

"_¡Tengo hambre!_"

"What?" Emma called when her ability to understand Spanish temporarily disappeared.

"I'm hungry," Regina translated, voice growing fainter and fainter as she ventured towards the kitchen.

"Oh. Come back to bed when you've found something to eat then," Emma ordered.

Regina snickered and her voice sounded almost a bit woolen coming from the kitchen as she said: "You are pretty clingy."

"Yep," Emma said simply. She would happily agree to that. She rolled onto her stomach and stretched her long body. Her back was a little sore. Maybe she had been straining a little too much. But oh well. The straining was totally worth it. She chuckled as she heard Regina potter around downstairs. She heard the fridge being opened. There was some Spanish muttering, and Emma grew curious: "are you finding anything good?"

"Onion rings!" Regina excitedly called. "I'll just eat this and then I'll come back to bed!"

"Nah, come back now!" Emma 'demanded'. "And bring the onion rings!"

"Back to bed?" Regina called up the stairs, and Emma could hear the disbelief in her voice. "Isn't that like... gross?"

"No," Emma laughed. "Come back to bed, babe! With the onion rings!"

"Alright, alright," Regina mumbled. "But don't say I didn't warn you!"

Emma laughed heartedly. She didn't give two shits about whether it could be deemed gross to eat onion rings in the bedroom or not. Regina was hungry. So of course she should have onion rings. And obviously, she should enjoy those onion rings in bed, so she didn't strain herself. Oh, so simple.

A few moments later, Regina came back to bed. Armed with a brown paper bag full of onion rings.

Emma snickered, and Regina glared at her. "Don't you dare judging me, Emma Swan!"

"I'd never dream of it," Emma assured and propped herself up on an elbow. "You are literally the image of perfection right now. Naked and carrying onion rings Did you walk naked into the kitchen?"

"God no," Regina grinned. "I borrowed your robe. But I took it off when coming back upstairs."

"Good. I don't want anyone peeping at you through the window," Emma said firmly.

"In this nice neighborhood?" Regina said and chuckled as she climbed back to bed, firmly holding onto the bag of onion rings the whole time. She lifted one of the greasy goods out of the bag and took a bite. Emma couldn't blame her girlfriend for look euphoric at the crunching sound.

"This is getting out of hand," Regina sighed as she shoved another onion ring inside her mouth. "As soon as I'm done being pregnant, I have to get back in the whole fitness thing. And we're not talking yoga."

Emma had in fact witnessed Regina doing some yoga during the week she had been here. A new habit, Regina had told her. Before getting pregnant, she had enjoyed going for runs, but seeing that she couldn't do that while pregnant, she had been forced to come up with something else. Something that was a bit gentler. So yoga it had been the preferred choice. Emma had hovered back every morning to watch Regina do it, and she marveled at how flexible Regina still was. Despite the big belly.

"You're gonna take up running again?" Emma inquired as she snatched an onion ring and shoved it inside her mouth. Yes, she was stealing food from a pregnant woman. And yes, she felt a little bad for doing so.

"_Tal vez_. But I've actually always wanted to try pole dancing."

Emma choked profusely on the onion ring and proceeded to almost hack up a lung as she attempted to clear her airways. Regina pole dancing. Oh dear lord, have freaking mercy!

"So it's true what they say. It really is dangerous to steal food from a pregnant woman," Regina observed and grinned as Emma's eyes started watering.

"Oh, very funny!" Emma croaked and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Regina laughed shamelessly and rolled onto her back. She stretched out her body. Her toes were by Emma's head, and her head by Emma's feet. Her long dark hair was spilling onto the floor. "But seriously, I'd like pole dancing lessons when I'm not pregnant any longer," she said casually and stuffed another onion ring inside her mouth.

"I'll be present for every rehearsal then," Emma said, and she wasn't even kidding.

"I'm sure you will, _querida_," Regina hummed and groaned slightly as she stretched her arm and put her cellphone down on the nightstand. "Next time I'll remember to take that back to the bedroom."

Emma tried not to smirk. Regina's cellphone had been left downstairs overnight. She usually brought it back to the bedroom with her, but she had been pretty... distracted last night. In fact she had been VERY distracted. By Emma. And Emma was not sorry about that either.

"Have you heard anything from anyone?" Emma asked, nodding towards Regina's phone.

"My dad. Of course," Regina replied.

Yes, Henry always checked in with Regina to hear how she was doing, and Emma found it to be adorable. But however, that wasn't what she was focusing on today. "You haven't heard anything from Sofía and Alessandra?"

"No," Regina said, and the crunching onion-ring-eating sound stopped for a moment. "And I'm actually starting to wonder about that."

"Yeah, me too," Emma nodded. It was actually starting to become quite the mystery. Normally, Sofía and Alessandra checked in with Regina every week. Hell, sometimes she heard from them every other day. Usually, they would text back and forward, but now it had almost been a week since Regina last heard from them.

"Are you worried?" Emma softly asked her girlfriend because said girlfriend had ceased crunching completely.

"_Sí_, a little," Regina admitted. "I know it's probably just me being paranoid, but still..." she puffed out air. "No, you know what? They're probably just busy. Or maybe they're on one of their business trips to Barcelona. You know they do that a lot."

"Yeah, you told me. But don't they usually tell you?"

"Mmm, they do. But maybe they're just swamped on their jobs or something. I can imagine being a doctor and a lawyer makes you pretty busy."

"Yeah." Emma nodded in agreement, but she couldn't help but wondering. If it wasn't for Sofía and Alessandra's habit with either calling or texting to check how Regina was doing, this wouldn't have been strange at all. But this radio silence... Well, it _was_ strange.

"So, do we have any plans today?" Regina asked.

Emma was brought out of her musings about Sofía and Alessandra and laughed because Regina certainly didn't sound like she was interested in doing _anything_. "Well... We could stay in bed all day and eat onion rings?" she suggested.

"Or we could put on some clothes and go for a walk?" Regina said dryly.

"After you've finished that bag of onion rings?"

"Yes, _querida_. After I've finished that bag of onion rings." Regina gave Emma a nudge with her foot and then she shoved her hand inside the bag and treated herself to a handful of onion rings.

"Onion rings after sex," Emma commented. "Why isn't that a classic yet?"

Regina flashed her a look that suggested that she thought Emma was ridiculous...

Eventually, they did actually manage to get out of bed. They showered. Got dressed. And even went outside. The air was cold and crispy, but they had spent the entire morning indoors, so a bit of fresh air wasn't too bad. And Regina looked mighty fine in her camel coat and big chunky scarf. Her belly pushed the coat out, and it was difficult for Emma to look away from the rounded curve. Regina just looked so goddamn adorable.

Together they walked down the street, arm in arm. And as Emma looked at the golden autumn colors on the trees, it suddenly reminded her of something. "When I was a kid, I always helped my parents with picking the apples."

"You did?" Regina smiled. "That's precious, _querida_."

"It's actually apple season right now. I bet my mom is freaking out in Vermont because she's not home to pick the apples," Emma chuckled. "This weekend has been her apple-picking' weekend for as long as I can remember. Dad and I have tried to tell her that it can wait a weekend or two, but she always refuses to listen. It has to be this weekend. Otherwise the apples will pale. Or so she says. I've no idea whether its true or not."

"Do you think she'd mind if we did it for her?" Regina asked with sparkling eyes.

"No, I don't think so at all. Why? You want to pick apples, beautiful girl?" Emma half-chuckled.

"_Sí_," Regina said softly. "That sounds like a perfectly domestic thing to do, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," Emma agreed. "And there's no one I'd rather pick apples with than you."

Regina snickered and considered: "I could use some of the apples to make something for tomorrow night. Do you think your parents would like that, _querida_?"

"Yeah. I think they'd love that. But you know you don't _have _to, right?"

"I _want_ to," Regina scoffed and gave Emma's arm a playful little swat. "They're letting me stay in their house. It's the least I can do."

Emma snorted at the not very good joke. "Oh, please. They adore you. Favorite daughter-in-law and all that."

"Emma, darling," Regina said slightly overbearingly. "I'm their _only_ daughter-in-law."

"And their favorite," Emma said goofily. "You wanna go into the woods?"

Regina sputtered. "How did you manage to make that sound so creepy?"

Emma was amused. "Am I scaring you, honey?"

"Oh, _sí_," Regina purred in her sweetest, most seductive voice. "I am absolutely terrified, _querida_."

Emma clicked her tongue and warned Regina never to use that tone in public again...

A half an hour later, Emma and Regina were in Emma's parents backyard. A ladder had been propped up against the old apple tree, Emma had a big basket slung over her arm, and she was currently trying to prevent her girlfriend from doing something (in her mind) exceptionally stupid. "You could fall and break your leg! Or neck!" she hissed and even wagged a finger in warning at Regina.

"Oh, please," Regina scoffed as she fearlessly ascended the ladder. "Stop being so dramatic, _querida_!"

"Stop climbing ladders!" Emma retorted and curled her hands into fists. Seriously, the urge to just rip Regina right off that stupid ladder was overwhelming!

"Is this because I'm pregnant?" Regina asked and sounded somewhere between amused and resigned.

"No. I'd have a problem with you climbing unsteady ladders no matter what," Emma grumbled.

Regina chuckled. "Liar," she said sweetly. "Beautiful, adorable lying Emma Swan."

"It's not a lie," Emma mumbled. But that wasn't completely true. Regina's big belly was the biggest reason why Emma could feel nervous twitches upon seeing her climbing up that ladder.

Regina chuckled again and tested Emma's nerves further by climbing up higher. "Now then," she said lightly as she stretched one arm out. "Let's pick some apples, eh, _querida_?"

"Uh-huh. And let's do it completely quietly so you can focus on... standing."

"Beautiful, silly Emma," Regina hummed as she picked the first apple from a branch. It was a beautiful, red and shining apple, and even though Emma was nervous as heck over seeing Regina stand on that ladder, she was still every bit a photographer.

"Shit, that's a great motive," she acknowledged as she watched Regina bring the apple up to her nose and inhale. "It works really well with your dark hair and eyes and everything!"

"_Sí_, just call me Snow White," Regina quipped as she turned slightly on the ladder. "Basket, please."

"Stay still!" Emma barked as she held up the basket so Regina could dump the apple in it.

Regina was still amused. "You are so sweet," she hummed. "Try and relax, _querida_. Switch off your brain."

Emma was immediately distracted as she thought back to the very first time Regina told her to do that. That had been in a half-dimmed hotel room. They had been sitting on the bed. And soon they weren't sitting anymore... Oh yes, she had the fondest of memories of Regina on top of her.

Regina grinned on the ladder. She remembered too. "That was a good night," she said softly.

"Mm. The best," Emma willingly agreed.

"You were nervous," Regina teased.

"I was not!" Emma harrumphed. "I was just- anticipative."

"That's another word for nervous, _mi amor_," Regina told her. "But don't worry. I was nervous too."

"You... you were?" Emma blinked. This was brand-new information. Regina had seemed so confident that night. And sassy. "Why?"

"Because I wanted it to be good," Regina said simply as she dumped another apple in the basket.

"Oh. Well, believe me, it was good. It was more than good. It was fucking fantastic. And it has been ever since."

"Fucking fantastic," Regina repeated and snickered. "I can live with that."

"Good," Emma said a bit sardonically and winced when Regina reached high to pick another apple. "Is there any chance you wanna trade place with me?"

"No," Regina said, and Emma found that to be expected and disappointing. "Absolutely not. I refuse to be treated like some little doll," Regina continued and sounded both amused and annoyed at the same time.

"I'm not treating you as a doll," Emma immediately protested. "I'm just trying to look out for you. I don't want you to fall down that ladder!"

"Emma. _Mi amor_. I'm not gonna fall anywhere, okay?"

"Alright, alright," Emma surrendered. She didn't want to annoy Regina. But she silently vowed that she would not look away for a single second. If Regina DID loose balance and fell (god forbid it!) Emma was damn well gonna be there to catch her!

Regina hummed to herself as she picked another apple and dumped it in Emma's basket. "Your mother is right, _querida_. It is indeed apple-season."

"It sure is. Do me a favor and hold the next apple up to your lips," Emma requested.

Regina picked an apple and did as she was asked and raised an eyebrow. "Like so?"

"Exactly! Man, that's perfect," Emma almost groaned. The photographer in her was very, very excited. "We'll have to do some pictures before we go inside."

"And what will you call this picture?" Regina half-teased. Still with the apple close to her lips.

"Hmmm," Emma pretended to consider it as she looked at her delightfully saucy girlfriend who clearly was in the middle of flirting with an apple. "How about... 'Forbidden Fruit'?"

"And there goes my reputation as Snow White," Regina observed dryly, but with sparkling eyes. She glanced down at her baby bump. "But I suppose that reputation went out the window a long time ago..."

"Who wanna be Snow White anyway?" Emma asked quickly, because joking or not, she did not like it when Regina started talking about herself like that. A part of her still suffered under the many, many times Cora Mills had called her 'a bad girl'. "I mean, Snow White... didn't do much, did she?" Emma continued. "She was just..."

"A prissy little princess?" Regina suggested with a grin.

"Yep. Something like that. You're way more badass."

"Hm," Regina nodded a little. "A badass. I can like with that." She turned back around on the ladder.

"A badass with a... nice ass," Emma said. She had completely trailed off when Regina bent slightly and gave her a perfect view of said nice ass.

"I can live with that too," Regina snickered as she dumped another apple in Emma's basket.

"Good," Emma drawled. "You pick those apples and I'll just be... enjoying the view."

"Oh god," Regina clicked her tongue as she turned around again and resumed the apple picking. She was clearly teasing because she was making a point of wiggling excessively whilst standing on the ladder.

"Would you be careful!" Emma hissed. "I'm serious, Regina! If you fall off that ladder so help me-"

"You'll explode and disappear in a cloud of smoke?" Regina finished the sentence. "Poof?"

"You are not one bit funny," Emma snipped. "Don't make me come up there!"

"And do what, _mi amor_?" Regina asked silkily. "Don't tell me you're planning on doing things to me while I'm standing on the ladder?"

"You are impossible!" Emma gave up. "Absolutely impossible!"

"And you like it," Regina grinningly accused.

Yes. Yes, Emma did like it. She liked it a lot. She liked when Regina was flirting so shamelessly with her. She liked how playful she was acting. And she liked that apple picking suddenly had turned into a seductive affair. Only Regina could make apple picking into something seductive. Only she could look so fucking good standing on a ladder. Although Emma did not like when she stood on a ladder, she had to admit that her girlfriend looked damn good up there. No one could complain about the view, and Emma thought to herself that they would have to sacrifice one or two of those red apples in the name of art. She simply _had_ to put them in a picture with Regina. Something fairytale inspired. Yes. That would definitely work. She was a genius!

It actually took about a half an hour before all the apples were in Emma's basket. Emma was quite relieved when she finally could extend a hand out towards Regina and help her down from the ladder.

"Oops," Regina quipped as she pretended to miss a step.

"Stop it," Emma scolded. "I know I'm being overprotective, but please don't do that."

Sensing that Emma was not joking, Regina smiled softly and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry. I'll stop messing around."

"At least when it comes to that," Emma said and gently grabbed Regina around the waist and lifted her down. "Gotcha!"

"Do you realize this is the second time we're doing bridal style," Regina observed as she wrapped her arms loosely around Emma's neck.

"Yup," Emma said lightly. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"Well, you _are_ my fake fiancé," Regina said and fiddled with the swan ring on her finger. "Are you gonna put me down or what?"

"Nah," Emma grinned. "I think I'm gonna carry you inside. You and the apples."

"Emma Swan! Put me down!" Regina jokingly squealed. But she kept holding on to Emma's neck.

"Regina Mills, I refuse," Emma retorted as she without further ado carried her girlfriend back through the garden. She was obviously being extremely careful while doing so. God forbid she should end up tripping after having spent the last half an hour lecturing Regina on the importance of not falling. It would be a tragic kind of irony if Emma was the one to loose balance all the sudden.

"You comfortable?" she asked Regina as she made it up to the porch.

"_Sí_, very," Regina hummed. "You are making _arándano _dance."

"Again?" Emma said softly.

"_Sí_, he's quite excited," Regina replied and adjusted a little.

_He_. Emma tried not to get distracted by that. It would appear that Blueberry now officially was a boy. Blueberry was never 'it' any longer.

Emma carried Regina into the hallway where she gently sat her down on the floor. Regina ran a hand through her hair and then slipped off her coat. Emma couldn't take her eyes off Regina's belly. It was difficult knowing that Blueberry was moving, and she wasn't yet able to feel it. "Still dancing?" she asked.

"Mmm. I swear, this kid will end up as a dancer," Regina quipped as she hung her coat on the hanger.

"Like you," Emma said before she could stop herself and immediately felt like she had just put her foot in her mouth.

But Regina just smiled a little. "Now let's see what I can do with those apples." She snatched the basket and carried it into the kitchen.

Emma followed her. "What are you thinking? Apple pie or something?"

"No. Apple turnover," Regina corrected and put the basket down on the table. "My dad's specialty. And now mine. He actually taught me to make it when I was about this side..." she gestured with her hands to indicate how small she had been.

"Aww," Emma cooed. Thanks to the pictures, she could easily imagine how cute pint-sized Regina had been. "Please tell me you were wearing an apron!"

"I was," Regina said and grinned a little. "Don't forget I'm the daughter of a chef, _querida_. Kitchen hygiene was always the most important thing."

"Did you have a little chefs hat too?" Emma asked innocently.

Regina grimaced as she picked up one of the apples and weighted it in her hands. "Maybe..."

"Oh my god," Emma pretended to swoon and clutched her heart. "Thank you so much for putting that image in my head!" seriously, baby Regina wearing an apron and a little chef's hat. How adorable was that?!

"I was proud of that hat!" Regina defended. "And my dad was proud of teaching me that recipe. 'This is the first step to become a chef, Reggie', he always said. And 'this is your first family tradition. I learned it from your grandfather who learned it from HIS grandfather. Now it's your turn to pass on the tradition and teach this recipe to...'" her voice dwindled as she trailed off. She looked at the apple in her hand without really seeing it.

"Honey?" Emma asked gently and put her hand on Regina's arm. "Are you alright?" Regina suddenly looked miles away, and Emma was eager to bring her back. She gave Regina's arm a soft squeeze, but Regina did not react to it. She just stared at the apple in her hand. Her expression was blank. She wasn't here, Emma could see that. She didn't want Regina to be sad, and right now Regina looked just that. Sad. There was a wrinkle between her dark eyes.

"Sweetheart?" Emma asked softly. "Regina, are you okay?"

"Right!" Regina said and her voice was much too sharp. "So, turnovers! Where was I?"

"I think you were telling me about the recipe," Emma murmured. Apparently, they were not gonna talk about what had just occurred. Emma had to respect that. No matter how much she wanted to.

"Oh yes," Regina said, voice all chirpy. "That's right. You see, to make a turnover you just gotta..."

Emma listened as her girlfriend explained how to make the perfect turnover, but now she was the one who wasn't really paying attention...

The following evening, Emma's parents arrived back home. Emma and Regina welcomed them home, and Mary Margaret gave them each a big hug. And thanked them for having picked the apples. "My knees are getting too old for that ladder anyway. The turnovers looks delicious, Regina."

Regina smiled proudly, and Emma felt equally as proud as she felt hungry. The turnovers did indeed look delicious. All golden brown and crispy and sprinkled with sugar on top. Regina was a kickass cook. Emma had told her that several times when she made the turnovers earlier today.

Emma smiled at her parents. It was nice having them back home again. "How was Vermont?" she asked curiously and a bit teasingly. "I barely heard from you guys."

"Oh, it was wonderful, wasn't it, David?" Mary Margaret chirped. "The hotel, the location, the spa, everything!"

"It was very nice," David agreed with his wife. "A well-deserved break. We haven't even been thinking about work, have we, honey?" he slipped an arm around his wife.

"Not even a little bit," Mary Margaret assured. "But I must admit that it will be good to get back to mayoring."

"You're hopeless, mom," Emma joked and rolled her eyes. "But I'm happy you guys had a nice time." Her parents certainly looked like they'd had a good time. Both of them looked so relaxed and comfortable, and Mary Margaret's skin was almost glowing. No doubt she had been given the full facial treatment at the spa hotel.

"And how about you two?" Mary Margaret asked. "What have you been up to? Apart from picking apples, of course."

Emma snickered and quickly banished the image of Regina in bed with the sheet pulled up to her lower back, dark hair spilling down her shoulders and a blood red apple only inches from her perfect lips. They had indeed been doing a photo shoot. 'Forbidden Fruit' was now a very official thing. Regina claimed that Emma should try and sell the pictures, but Emma refused. No way in hell she would sell images of a partly-dressed Regina. No sir!

"We've mostly just been hanging out, isn't that right, Regina?" Emma said.

"_Sí_," Regina nodded. "Oh, and the baby has started kicking!"

"It _has_?" Mary Margaret's eyes widened. "How terrific! How does it feel for you? With Emma it sort of felt like light tickles."

Regina chuckled softly. "It feels a bit like popcorn popping."

"And I'm super jealous that I can't feel it," Emma grumbled.

Mary Margaret lightly patted her arm. "It'll come soon enough, sweetie." Then she turned to Regina again. "Has the baby been very active, Regina?"

"Oh yes," Regina nodded. "Absolutely. It's nice to finally feel it, but at the same time it's a bit... strange."

"I understand that," Mary Margaret said eagerly. "I felt like that too. It took me some time to get used to."

"I think I already am starting to get used to it," Regina mused. "It's funny, really. It's almost like the baby is trying to be a part of the conversation."

Mary Margaret laughed and treated herself to another turnover. "Emma did that too. And she still wants the last word."

"Does she?" Regina asked with faux surprise as she looked at Emma. "I haven't noticed."

"Hey, that is so not fair!" Emma protested. "Stop ganging up on me, damnit!"

The look Regina flashed her was absolutely annoying. All false innocence and mischief at the same time. And it was annoying because Emma couldn't kiss the breath out of her.

"Tell us about the hotel," Regina said eagerly. "I've never been to Vermont before."

David and Mary Margaret immediately threw themselves into describing the hotel and location and everything. They were constantly talking over one another, both of them wanting to be the first one to tell Regina what she wanted to know. Emma thought to herself that Regina was bringing that old myth about not getting along with her parents-in-laws to shame. There was no fake smiles here. All of it was genuine. Emma's parents adored Regina. And vice-versa. Yes, Emma had been a little excited about introducing Regina to her parents, everything considered, but she hadn't needed to worry.

"Hey," Regina said and gave Emma a light shove.

"Ouch!" Emma protested and huffed when her elbow accidentally was knocked off the table.

"You were staring at me," Regina laughed. "Do I have something on my face or what?"

"No, of course not," Emma said hastily and rubbed her elbow. "I was just... getting lost in thoughts, I guess."

"Oh. Is your elbow okay?"

"No, you've probably broken it," Emma said with faux sadness.

Regina laughed again. "I know I can do self-defense, but I think you're exaggerating a bit, _mi amor_."

"No, I'm not," Emma mock-grumbled and rubbed her elbow again. "Settle for punching the bad guys, will you?"

Regina's smile grew a bit wicked. She was probably thinking about that time she smacked Robin across the face. So was Emma. She would cherish the memory of Regina giving that douchebag what he deserved until her last breath.

Mary Margaret hummed in appreciation as she took a bite of her turnover. "Regina, this is wonderful! Can I have the recipe?"

"_Por supuesto_," Regina beamed. "That would only please my dad. First thing you have to do is-" she was interrupted by the sound of her phone going off noisily and scratching against the table. Regina glared at the device. "_Que grosera_," she said as she picked up the phone and looked at the screen.

"Is that your dad again?" Emma asked and chuckled good-naturedly. Seriously, bless that guy for calling Regina so often. It was positively adorable!

"No, it's Alessandra," Regina replied shortly.

Emma frowned. It was after nine here in Storybrooke. Meaning that it was three o'clock in the morning in Madrid. Why would Alessandra call Regina that late? It didn't make sense. She and Sofía were notorious for going to bed early because of their jobs.

"I better take this," Regina said. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, dear," Mary Margaret said quickly and flashed Regina a reassuring smile.

Regina briefly returned the smile before bringing the phone up to her ear. "_Hola, Alessandra_," she said. "_¿Como estas?_"

For obvious reasons, Emma did not understand what Alessandra was saying in the other end, but she could hear the other woman say a bunch of things quickly. Her voice seemed to be slightly more high pitched and more breathy than usually.

"_Ve más despacio, Alessandra_," Regina said and frowned. "_No entiendo lo que estás diciendo_."

Okay, now Emma was REALLY curious. She tilted her head as she tried to determine exactly what was going on.

"_¿Seriamente?_" Regina's eyes widened slightly. "_Sí, tienes razón, eso nos pone a todos en una posición difícil_." She briefly glanced at Emma and her parents and mouthed a quick 'sorry' before standing from her chair and quickly walking into the living room to continue the conversation.

"Hmm," Emma said as she heard Regina speak rapid Spanish. Although Emma didn't understand the words, she knew that this was an important conversation. Otherwise Alessandra wouldn't have called Regina at three in the morning.

"What do you suppose that's about?" Mary Margaret asked quietly.

"I haven't gotten the faintest," Emma muttered. The curiosity was burning in her mind. "She hasn't heard a peep from them all week and now Alessandra is suddenly calling her after nine? What is up with that?"

"Strange," Mary Margaret agreed, and Emma was relieved. So she wasn't the only one who found this to be weird.

"Perhaps there's a rational explanation," David said.

"I suppose so," Emma agreed. "They COULD have been busy with work, but too busy to send a text or something?" she didn't buy that. You were never too busy to send a text.

Mary Margaret took a sip of her coffee. She was frowning too. And glancing through the door Regina had just disappeared through.

"_¡Dios mío, lo siento mucho, Alessandra! ¡Realmente soy!_" came Regina's voice from the living room.

_Lo siento. _That meant 'I'm sorry', Emma knew as much. But exactly WHAT was Regina sorry about? And why did she suddenly sound so tired? God, if it had been acceptable to just barge in there and listen in, Emma surely would have done so. She impatiently drummed her fingertips against the table knowing full well that her mom would comment on it in a moment. She hated when Emma drummed her fingers against the table. It was one of the few things that had driven her crazy when Emma was a child. And Emma had of course weaponized it and done it to annoy her mother when she was mad at her.

"_Si. No, no tienes que disculparte. Está bien. Bueno. Si. Adiós, Alessandra_," Regina said, and the words sounded more like a sigh than anything else. Emma heard the floorboards creak slightly as Regina walked back and forward in the living room, and then...

"_¡Maldita sea!_" Regina growled.

_Oh._ Yeah, Emma had heard that sentence enough times to know exactly what that meant.

"_¿Ahora que? ¿Ahora qué, ahora qué, ahora qué?_" Regina mumbled. She was clearly walking back and forward. And clearly having a mini-breakdown.

Emma rose from her chair. Ready to head into the living room. She wasn't about to let Regina have a mini breakdown on her own. But before she could get the chance to go anywhere, the door to the living room opened and Regina emerged.

"Sorry about that," she offered. She didn't look sad. Just concerned. Her lips were a thin line, and her forehead wrinkled.

"What's up?" Emma asked immediately. "Was that Alessandra?"

"_Sí_, it was. And she was in tears," Regina said dully. "I almost couldn't understand what she was saying."

"And what DID she say?" Emma asked and put a hand on the small of Regina's back.

"She said..." Regina sighed. "Well, she said that she and Sofía had a major fight last weekend. Stuff was said, and it turns out that Sofía has been seeing someone else."

"Shit, really?" Emma said surprised. As ridiculously as it sounded, she had not expected this from Sofía at all. She had seemed so devoted to Alessandra. But you never knew what was going on behind closed doors, did you?

"Alessandra has moved out of the apartment and back to Barcelona where her parents lives," Regina continued. "I don't think she and Sofía will be able to work through it. It didn't sound like it. It actually mostly sounded like Alessandra wanted a divorce and wanted nothing to do with Sofía. Which I... Well, I understand that."

"Yeah. Me, too," Emma said grimly and thought of Neal and Tamara.

"And obviously it means that the adoption isn't happening either," Regina sighed. "They're getting a divorce, and of course none of them wants to throw a baby into that mix. That's what Alessandra called to tell me. And to say that she was sorry. And that Sofía is a bitch, apparently."

"Oh," Emma was stunned. She honestly had not expected that. "Then... then what?"

"Good question," Regina laughed dryly. "I suppose I'll have to contact the adoption agency again and... and find a new family. God, I have to go through the whole decision mill one more time!" she palmed her forehead. "Everything was going so well!"

"I'll go with you," Emma immediately offered. "I'll go back to Spain with you and we'll figure this out, okay?"

"Okay," Regina said without sounding very convinced. She put a hand on her growing belly. "I'm sorry, kid. I really thought they were the right ones!"

"We'll find somebody else," Emma said automatically and felt her mother's gaze burn a hole right between her eyes. Mary Margaret had kept quiet during it all, but Emma had a feeling that her mom knew what she was thinking. That Regina already had found the right one.

Emma looked down at Regina's hand that was still cradling her big belly. She reached out and gently placed her hand atop Regina's. And tried not to think about just how RIGHT this was. She absolutely could not think like that. If Regina wanted to find a new family for Blueberry, Emma would damn well help her if that was the last thing she did!

**To Be Continued...**

_Spanish translations:_

_¡Eso fue divertido!= That was fun!_

_¡Tengo hambre!= I'm hungry!_

_Tal vez= Maybe._

_Que grosera= How rude._

_Hola, Alessandra= hello, Alessandra._

_¿Como estas?"= How are you?_

_Ve más despacio, Alessandra= Slow down, Alessandra._

_No entiendo lo que estás diciendo= I don't understand what you're saying._

_¿Seriamente?= Seriously?_

_Sí, tienes razón, eso nos pone a todos en una posición difícil= Yeah you're right, that puts us all in a difficult position._

_¡Dios mío, lo siento mucho, Alessandra! ¡Realmente soy!= Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Alessandra! I really am!_

_Si. No, no tienes que disculparte. Está bien. Bueno. Si. Adiós, Alessandra= Yes. No, you don't have to apologize. It's okay. Okay. Yes. Goodbye Alessandra._

_¡Maldita sea!= God damnit!_

_¿Ahora que? ¿Ahora qué, ahora qué, ahora qué?= Now what? Now what, now what, now what?_


	44. Chapter 44

"Got everything?" Emma asked and shifted a little, so she was standing a bit more comfortably leaned against the door frame.

"_Sí_, almost," Regina said and attempted to force her last article of clothing into her suitcase. She failed utterly, and the piece of clothing, a flower patterned skirt, ended up on the floor instead. "Oops," Regina muttered and sounded utterly tired.

"I got it," Emma said swiftly, quickly coming to Regina's aid. She bent down and picked up the skirt before Regina could.

"Thanks," Regina said and mustered a grateful smile as she took the skirt from Emma. But the smile was not entirely genuine. She looked tired. And concerned. Today there was no silly joke about Emma trying to get a look at her 'knickers'.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Emma said softly, bending slightly to press a light kiss to Regina's temple.

Regina let out a little sound at that, but her lips was still a thin line as she forced the flowery skirt inside her suitcase and then zipped said suitcase whilst muttering Spanish curse words under her breath.

"You know, I'm looking forward to going back to Spain," Emma started in an attempt to distract Regina from all the things that worried her.

Regina cracked a teeny little smile. "I'm grateful I'm not going back there on my own."

Emma returned the smile.

Regina's eyes grew absentminded as she found her phone and glanced at the screen for the fourth time that morning.

"Still nothing?" Emma guessed.

"You're absolutely correct about that," Regina sighed. "I don't know... I just feel like she could have at least send me a text or something, right?"

"Yes," Emma said, immediately getting cross. "She definitely could have!" the 'she' was Sofía. Regina had not heard anything from her. No calls, no texts, no nothing. Emma found it to be pretty cowardly, to be honest. And crappy. Sofía owed Regina an apology for the 'inconvenience'. If it was acceptable to call backing out of an adoption an 'inconvenience'. But Sofía remained silent. And Emma had a feeling that she would continue to.

"Oh well," Regina said, trying to make her voice light. "That's life, I suppose. Right? I'll just have to go back to the adoption agency and... do the whole selection thing... again..." she ran out of steam and sighed. "Damnit! They seemed so perfect!"

"Not perfect enough, it would seem."

"They were so excited!" Regina continued exasperated and ran her fingers through her hair. "Emma, they had even _named_ him!"

"I know, sweetheart. I know." Emma put a hand on Regina's shoulder to comfort her.

"I wanted _them_," Regina said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to find a different family! I don't want to go through the whole 'pick a family'-thing. What if the next family I choose backs out too? What if I can't find the right family? What will happen to him then?! He'll end up in a foster home or something! I don't want that for him! I don't want that at all, Emma! _Dios_!" she clenched her fists. "Why is there always so much drama in my life?! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of feeling like things are going well, and then boom, something happens that makes it all go to hell! I'm sick of insane plot twists always putting a damper on things whenever I'm visiting you! I'm sick of always having worry occupying one part of my mind! I'm so _fucking_ sick of it!" she concluded her rant with slamming a fist harshly into her suitcase with a bang. The sound echoed in the bedroom, and Emma automatically cringed.

"Ow! _Mierda_!" Regina cursed and rubbed her knuckles.

"Did that help?" Emma asked softly. She had wisely remained quiet during Regina's rant. Had sensed that Regina did not need to be soothed. She just needed to vent. Everyone needed that once in a while.

"Not really," Regina sighed, still rubbing her hand and frowning. She looked up. "_Lo siento, querida_. I'm sorry for just-"

"Hey," Emma interrupted and kissed her temple again. "No apologizing. You're in a very stressful situation that is beyond control. You're allowed to feel frustrated."

"But I don't want to keep unloading on you," Regina insisted. "I'm sick of that too."

"You don't have to be that. It's alright," Emma assured. "It's more than alright."

"Oh!" Regina exclaimed, eyes widening as she placed a hand on her swelling belly. "It's alright, _niñito_. I am not sick of _you_," she assured, voice soft now. she rubbed small circles on her belly. "Don't you worry. I'll fix it. I'll fix everything. I promise." A soft chuckle. "It feels like he's following my hand when I move it. It's quite... reassuring, really."

"He's telling you that everything is going to be okay," Emma said spontaneously, wishing that she too was able to feel Blueberry kick.

"Mmm," Regina muttered. Now her voice sounded... different. Breaking.

Emma took a second glance at her girlfriend, and to her utter horror she discovered that Regina's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "No!" she yelped. "Woah, woah, woah! Please don't get upset, honey! God!" it wasn't nice or fair, but right now she kinda wanted to murder Alessandra and Sofía for having rocked Regina's world. She quickly wrapped her arms around Regina and held her close.

"I don't know why!" Regina said and sounded almost grumpy now. "My hormones are just out of whack. Again!"

"Then let them be out of whack while I hold you, yeah?"

"_Sí_, that sounds nice," Regina mumbled. And then she gave in to the tears of frustration. She wasn't exactly sobbing, but she was definitely sniffling against Emma's shoulder.

Emma gently rubbed her girlfriend's back and whispered soothing words in her ear. Whilst thinking malicious thoughts about Alessandra and Sofía. Which was not nice at all, but how very _dared _they making Regina so frustrated that it brought her to tears?! Emma gnashed her teeth. In her mind, Sofía and Alessandra had broken the most golden of golden rules: never _EVER _upset a pregnant woman!

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Regina croaked. "I'm just being silly!"

"You are _not_," Emma said firmly. "Never dismiss your feelings, sweetheart. They're okay. All of them."

"Then I'm tired," Regina corrected. "So, so tired!"

"That's okay too," Emma assured, kissing the top of Regina's head and rubbing her shoulders again. They had been so wonderfully relaxed and loose when Regina arrived here, but now they were all tight and knotty again. Regina was tensing up all over again.

"I'll figure it out, right?" Regina mumbled a bit muffled against her shoulder.

"_We'll_ figure it out," Emma corrected.

"_Sí_. We," Regina agreed. She lifted her head from Emma's shoulder and presented Emma with two slightly red and puffy eyes.

Emma gently reached out and wiped the last stray tears away from Regina's cheeks.

"Thanks," Regina said and straightened her posture. Then she rubbed her swelling belly again. "I may not know which family I'll choose, but I do know that I don't want to settle. I want him to have the best parents he could possibly wish for. They have to be able to provide for him in any possibly way. And they have to love him more than anything. He has to be the first priority for them. Always. No matter what."

Emma swallowed something. Right now, Blueberry was coming before everything else for Regina. He was her top priority. Concern about his future- not her own- had brought her to tears. She was most likely prepared to tear the world apart to give him his best chance. Like a lioness protecting her cub. A mother protecting her son. But of course Emma knew that she could not tell Regina that. Nor could she reveal how attached she had grown to Regina's belly and the little life growing inside it. How she was not sure she could hold it together when Regina gave birth at the hospital. How she was supposed to be presented with a tiny, pink wiggling thing that was half Regina and then say goodbye to him. Watch as he was handed over to other people. People who were going to be his parents. Always. What part would Regina even play in his life? What lies would his new parents come up with? That Regina was a distant family friend who came to visit once in a while? Or would they tell him the truth about Regina's identity? If they did, would that confuse the little boy? Or perhaps they would not tell him the truth. Perhaps they would settle for sending Regina pictures and short letters over the years. An open adoption, but not really. What would that do to Regina? How would receiving pictures of her son affect her over the years? What if she grew to regret her decision? What if she would spend the rest of her life quietly wishing that she had kept the baby, but felt like she couldn't tell anyone?

"_Querida_? Is everything alright? You went all quiet," Regina said and patted her cheek lightly.

"Yeah. Sorry, I'm fine," Emma said quickly, squashing all the thoughts she couldn't turn into words.

"Are you certain? Did my blubbering scare you away?" Regina joked.

"No," Emma said, mustering up a smile. "Of course not, you idiot."

Regina chuckled a little and whapped her arm lightly. "Behave."

"Not a chance," Emma teased and pulled Regina in for another hug. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better. But you're kinda squashing my belly."

"Oh, sorry!" Emma yelped and immediately released Regina. Before she could stop herself, she put her hands on Regina's round belly. "You okay in there, kid?"

"He's fine," Regina assured with a grin. "He's still dancing. On my bladder." She grimaced. "You know what, I'll be right back." with that she left Emma's bedroom. Emma heard her speed down the hallway, and a second later, the door to the bathroom was opened and closed. Emma suffocated her amusement. Regina had been up three times last night to go to the bathroom. Apparently, Blueberry had found a new favorite toy. Regina's bladder. Regina had groaned and complained that it was too early to have to go to the bathroom all the time. But a quick glance at her app, had told both her and Emma that 'increased urination' was in fact quite normal. That had prompted Regina to groan and press the pillow over her head in a rather dramatic fashion.

Emma turned her attention back to her suitcase which was overflowing with clothes. She wasn't completely sure how long she would stay in Spain this time, but the most likely scenario was that she would stick around for a while and then catch a flight straight to New York to meet up with that gallerist. Regina was determined to come along and had refused to listen when Emma gently suggested that she stayed home. It wasn't that Emma didn't want Regina to come with her to New York. She wanted that more than anything. But she also did not want to stress Regina and the baby. All those flights to and from Spain and now New York. Perhaps Emma was overly concerned, but she wanted to look out for Regina in any way she could. She had told Regina that, and Regina had shown off her temper by dryly stating that excluding her was not 'looking out' for her. Safe to say that Emma had backed the hell down then, and there had been no more talk of Regina staying home while Emma went to New York on her own. Of course Regina was coming to New York with Emma. It was silly of Emma to assume anything else. She should know better than to argue with a pregnant woman.

Emma zipped her suitcase shut and lifted it lightly. Not too heavy. That was good. She could easily carry this suitcase and Regina's. Regina would probably protest, but Emma would ignore it. Of course she was going to carry Regina's suitcase. There were no other options.

The door to the bedroom creaked open as Regina came back. She was carrying a little box in her hands, and she was all smiles as she declared: "I ran into your mom, _querida_. She gave us cookies for the trip, look!"

"Ohh," Emma cooed, licking her lips. Mary Margaret made damn good cookies. "Is Blueberry still dancing on your bladder?"

"No. But don't ask too loudly. He might hear you and get inspired," Regina joked, putting a finger on her lip for emphasis. She looked insanely cute whilst doing so.

Emma chuckled slightly, relieved to see that Regina had gotten her good mood back. Emma's intestines had the tendency to curl in on themselves when Regina was crying.

"So... Are we ready to head to the airport?" Regina asked and put her hands flatly on her lower back. She arched backwards slightly in an attempt to stretch her back a little.

"We are," Emma nodded. "Maybe I should have called the airline company beforehand and asked them to recline your seat before you arrive?"

"Dummy," Regina said flatly. But she was smiling at the same time. "You absolute dummy."

"Hey, I can't blame you if you wanna sleep on the plane," Emma defended. "You were up three times last night!"

"Don't remind me," Regina said darkly. "I ran into your dad one of the times. We had a little midnight chat."

"You did? You never told me that. What did you guys talk about?"

"How much you snore, of course."

"Hey!" Emma barked and warningly curled her fingers into claws.

"Ah-ah-ah," Regina laughed. "It is forbidden to rattle a pregnant woman, _mi amor_."

Emma felt very tempted to remind Regina of how she had been 'rattled' two nights ago, but she heard Mary Margaret come up the stairs, and the courage deserted her...

Two hours later, Emma and Regina were once again sitting in a plane. Emma felt that familiar tug behind her navel as the plane took off. They were going back to Spain again.

Regina shifted a little in the seat next to Emma. Muttered something in Spanish and then tugged at the seatbelt that was buckled around her growing belly. After a moment she managed to adjust it, and a small sigh of relief escaped her.

"Is that better?" Emma asked immediately. God forbid the seat belt should squash anything.

"_Sí_, so much better," Regina smiled but still frowned as she glanced past Emma at the aisle.

Emma quickly understood the issue. "Next time we'll book you a seat on the aisle so you can get to the bathroom easier. Want to switch place with me?"

"No," Regina said firmly. "I'm pregnant. But I'm not _that_ pregnant."

"Uhh, babe-"

"Don't you dare, Emma Swan!" Regina huffed. But then she laughed heartedly and shook her head. "_Dios_, this is getting more and more glamorous. Maternity clothes with elastic bands. Prenatal vitamins. And now a seat close to the bathroom. The next thing will probably be compression stockings and what not." She sniffed in disdain. "Cora's favorite story to tell was how being pregnant with me 'forced' her to wear compression stockings."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with compression stockings," Emma said firmly.

"Tell that to Cora," Regina scoffed. "According to her, her legs never became the same again."

"That sounds like bull."

Regina chuckled. "Cora said a lot bull."

"Yeah, no kidding," Emma said darkly, remembering all the horrible stuff Cora had said to Regina the last time they saw one another. The blonde was still full of murderous thoughts when it came to Cora fucking Mills!

Regina reached within her purse and found the box Mary Margaret had given her. "it was nice of your mom to give us cookies for the trip."

"Mm, it sure was," Emma agreed and smiled upon remembering the goodbye Mary Margaret had given Regina. She had hugged her tightly. Kept her there for a moment while offering words of encouragement and consolation. Emma had a feeling that Mary Margaret might have overheard Regina's mini-panic attack while they were packing their suitcases. Emma's mother had also patted Regina's cheek in an oh so motherly fashion. Regina's chin had wobbled a little bit, but then David had stepped in and proclaimed that he wanted to say goodbye to his daughter-in-law, and Regina had ended up laughing instead of crying. Thank god.

"Do you want one?" Regina offered and waved a cookie in Emma's face.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, babe," Emma said gratefully and took the offered cookie.

Regina scoffed. "I'm not planning on eating all of these cookies on my own, Em-ma."

"Really?" Emma teased. "Are you sure? Ouch!"

Regina had whapped her arm in warning, and of course Emma had to pretend that she was deeply wounded. Much to Regina's amusement. "You better be careful, _querida_," she warned. "I took kickboxing lessons a few years ago, so I could probably take you down."

"Take down the police chief's daughter?" Emma huffed. "Hardly. But maybe I'll _let_ you take me down."

Regina chuckled.

"You took kickboxing lessons?" Emma asked curiously.

"Mmm. When I was eighteen and had just moved out. Daddy was the one who encouraged me to do it. Meaning that he actually showed up with a gift card to ten kickboxing lessons one day. I wasn't really interested in kickboxing, but of course I went to all the lessons for his sake." She shook her head a little. "You often hear people say that daughters have their fathers wrapped around their little finger, but I swear, it's the other way around with me and him."

Emma grinned. "Always looking out for his little girl, huh?"

"_Sí,_ always."

"Well, if it's those kickboxing lessons who taught you to give Robin that right hook, I'm grateful," Emma said firmly. Oh, the memories of Regina punching Robin fucking Locksley in the face was still one of her favorites. Minus Robin trying to intimidate Robin afterwards, of course.

"It wasn't a right hook, _querida_. It was a slap across the face," Regina corrected. "If I _had_ given him a right hook, you wouldn't have been in doubt."

Emma laughed at that.

"I swear, if I ever see him again..." Regina stuffed a cookie inside her mouth and chewed and swallowed before continuing: "the only thing he gets from me is a broken nose!"

"That's my girl," Emma said fondly and leaned in to kiss Regina's cheek. "My ferocious, murderous girl."

"Emma!" Regina protested, laughing. "Don't call me that on the plane!"

"Don't worry. You don't LOOK murderous," Emma assured. And that was true. Regina literally looked the opposite of murderous as she sat there and munched of the cookies from Emma's mother. And it was quite hard to believe that she was capable of breaking anyone's nose when she laughed about being able to rest the box of cookies on her belly in a few months.

"If you do that, please, please do it while I'm present," Emma said. Seriously, she wanted to be there for that!

"Will do," Regina assured and then scrunched up her nose. Putting a hand on her belly she said: "I don't think he likes the cookies. Or maybe it's the flying he doesn't like."

"He's kicking?" Emma guessed.

"_Sí_."

"A lot?" envious now.

"_Sí_. A lot."

"Oh man!" now DEFENITELY envious. Really, all Emma wanted was to be able to feel the baby move inside Regina. She kept imagining putting a hand on Regina's belly and feeling a tiny little hand or foot push back against her hand.

"Alessandra and Sofía never got to feel him kick," Regina muttered. "They were so excited about that..."

Emma automatically wrapped an arm around Regina to comfort her. She was pretty certain that she understood why Regina was so distraught about loosing Alessandra and Sofía as parents for the baby. Because they were perfect. Unbelievably perfect. Alessandra being a lawyer and Sofía being a doctor. That was perfect careers. It had to do with Cora Mills and all her jabs about 'proper' jobs, Emma was sure of that. Everything had to be perfect in Cora Mills' world. Regina had once been a part of that world. So it was only natural that she had found the perfect parents for the baby. In some way, she had tried to do what her mother wanted her to do whilst still rebelling by choosing a lesbian couple. And now she had lost Alessandra and Sofía as parents.

"I suppose I better call the adoption agency first thing and tell _Señora __Lopez that the adoption has fallen through," Regina said more to herself than to Emma. "I wonder if she's ever had that happening before? Maybe I'm just born under an unlucky star or something..."_

_"I'm sure something similar has happened lots of times," Emma soothed. _

_"I thought the birth mother was the one who was supposed pull out at the last minute. Not the adoptive parents," Regina darkly joked. _

_Emma muttered something incoherent. Her brain couldn't stop focusing on the word 'birth mother'. It was lightening up like a neon symbol in her brain. __Birth mother, birth mother, BIRTH MOTHER__._

_"And of course I'll have to tell my dad too," Regina continued, oblivious to Emma's inner struggles. "He'll get all worried. Again." she shook her head and treated herself to another cookie. Most definitely comfort eating. _

_Emma squeezed her shoulder in an attempt to offer her support. _

_"__Dios__," Regina sighed. "All we need is Robin jumping out from a bush and going 'surprise, I'm still here!' or something like that."_

_"Don't even make jokes about that," Emma growled. "If I see him again, I'll wring his miserable neck!" _

_"Can I help you?" Regina joked, but then patted Emma's cheek soothingly. Which was pretty ironic. _

_Emma growled again. _

_"Calm down, __querida__. I'm sure I won't see him again," Regina said, still comforting. "He was all talk. Much like that night..." _

_Emma raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean exactly?" _

_"Nothing. He was just pretty drunk. And- and very chatty. Do we have to talk about it?" Regina grimaced. "I wasn't exactly sober either."_

_"Maybe not, but HE was an idiot," Emma said firmly. _

_"Aren't all drunk people idiots?" Regina mused. _

_"Not you."_

_Regina snorted. "I'm pretty sure Cora would disagree." _

_"Well, Cora can go-" Emma cleared her throat. "Anyway, I'm sure your dad will handle the news just fine, sweetheart. And I'll obviously go with you to the adoption agency and everything."_

_"You can go with me to work the night after tomorrow too," Regina said dryly. "I just remembered that I have a shift."_

_"That's fine too. Obviously, I'd prefer that you didn't have to be on your feet, but-"_

_"__Querida__, I have to work."_

_"I know. Which is why I'm going to shut up now. I'm looking forward to seeing you mix drinks. I like when you do that."_

_"You won't find a better bartender than I," Regina said with faux pride in her voice. _

_Emma was just about to tell her girlfriend that she didn't have to search in order to know that there didn't exist a better bartender than her, when they were interrupted. In the cutest way possible. A little boy- no older than five or six- suddenly squeezed his little face in between the small space between the backs of the seats in front of Emma and Regina. He had big blue eyes and sandy blonde hair, dimpled cheeks, and the most adorable gap between his teeth when he smiled. "Hi," he said. _

_"Hey kid," Emma chuckled at the same time as Regina said: "hello, young man."_

_"Cookies!" he said excited as he wiggled a hand in between the gap and pointed to the box of cookies in Regina's lap. _

_"Yeah, that's right," Regina confirmed. "That's cookies."_

_"Can I have one?" the little boy asked and flashed his dimples in the most adorable, charming smile once more. "Pretty please?" _

_"Connor!" a woman scolded as she with some trouble turned her head and peered through the tiny space to see what her son was up to. "You can't just ask people for cookies, that's not nice! Now tell the nice lady you're sorry..." _

_"Sorry," Connor said a bit defiantly. _

_"Connor," the woman sighed and glanced at Emma and Regina. "I really am sorry. It's a long flight and the young man always have some trouble keeping still. Isn't that right, Connor?"_

_"Nooo," Connor said. Even more defiantly. _

_"If it's alright with you, he's more than welcome to have a cookie," Regina said kindly to the mother. _

_"Hmm," Connor's mother frowned for a second as she considered it. Then she smiled and clearly decided to tease her son a little: "Connor, sweetie, would you like a cookie?"_

_"Yes, mommy! Yes, yes, yes!" Connor squealed. _

_"Alright. Then please ask the nice lady. And remember to tell her thank you," the mother instructed. _

_Connor immediately flashed Regina his nicest smile. "Can I- __may__ I please have a cookie, nice lady?" _

_"Connor..." his mother sighed while Emma laughed. _

_"Of course you can, Connor," Regina said, reaching into the box and finding a cookie for him. "You're not allergic to nuts, are you?"_

_"No!"_

_"What about chocolate then?" Regina teased. "Are you allergic to that?"_

_"Nooo!" Connor exclaimed, looking frightened at the very idea while his mother was openly amused. _

_ "Then it's okay," Regina said and handed him a cookie. "There you go, young man. Should we give your mommy a cookie too?" _

_Connor turned his head and looked at his mom. "Mommy, do you want a cookie too?"_

_ "Why yes, that would be lovely," the mother said, clearly pleasantly surprised. "Thank you," she said warmly as Regina handed her a cookie. Then she nudged her young son once. "What do we say then, Connor?" _

_"Thank you, nice lady!" _

_Connor's mother sighed a little as her son turned back around in his seat, fully engaged with eating his cookie. The mother smiled as she looked at Regina. "Congratulations. When are you due?"_

_"March," Regina replied and returned the mother's smile._

_"First baby?" the mother guessed. _

_"Mm, yes." Now Regina was definitely fidgeting a little in her seat, but Emma doubted that the mother noticed. _

_ "How wonderful," Connor's mother said. "Connor's my third one. His sisters are starting their first and senior year in high school. Connor came as a complete surprise."_

_"What a nice surprise that must have been," Regina replied, still smiling, but there was definitely something in her eyes now. Something that made Emma want to interrupt the conversation in some kind of way. _

_ "I'm sure this will be too," the mother smiled. "Do you know what you're having?" _

_Emma's heart sank. If this conversation continued, there was a risk that Regina would get upset all over again!_

_"A boy," Regina said, and Emma's neck went crick because she turned her head so quickly to look at her girlfriend. _

_"I mean... I think it's a boy," Regina back-pedaled, flush rising in her cheeks. "But I don't... I don't know for sure." She awkwardly brushed a hand over her red suede skirt. _

_"Well, whether it's going to be a boy or a girl, I have a feeling that you'll be a wonderful mother," the blonde woman chuckled. "I mean, judging by how you handled my Connor. He said thank you to you. Between you and me, he doesn't do that a lot-"_

_"Mommy, I have to pee!" Connor rather suddenly declared and tugged at his mother's sleeve. _

_"Alright, alright," the mother said somewhat tiredly. "Let's go to the bathroom then. Come on." they got up from their seats and walked into the aisle. But halfway towards the bathroom, Connor turned his head and smiled dazzlingly at Regina. "Thank you for the cookie, nice lady!"_

_"You're welcome, Connor," Regina said and returned the smile without looking much strained. _

_ Mother and son disappeared into the bathroom, and Regina pushed a lock of hair away from her face. Shifted a bit and made herself comfortable. "__¿Por qué sucede esto todo el tiempo?__"_

_"Huh?" Emma asked and frowned. She had not heard that sentence before. _

_"Why does this keep happening?" Regina translated. "Why does children keep gravitating towards me? I know that I was holding a box of cookies, but still... this is the second time something like this happens. It's like with that little girl in the park. Do you remember her?"_

_"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I do." How could she possibly forget about the little girl Regina had reunited with her mom? It was true. Children DID gravitate towards Regina. Or perhaps children simply gravitated toward pregnant women a lot. _

_"It's strange," Regina muttered. _

_"What is?" Emma asked softly. _

_Regina did not answer. _

_"Regina? Sweetheart?" _

_But Regina still did not answer. For a moment, her expression looked utterly blank, but then she smiled. "I think I want another cookie," she announced and fiddled with the box still in her lap. "Do you want one too, __querida__?"_

_"I- yeah, thanks." She was handed a cookie and ate it in silence as she looked at Regina who had turned her head and was now staring out of the little round window. Emma saw the clouds drift by outside and wondered what Regina was thinking about. The little boy she had given a cookie a moment ago, or his mother and what she had said? '__You'll be a wonderful mother__'. Emma's gut twisted a little. It was true, Regina kept meeting children and their parents everywhere. Children did indeed gravitate towards her a lot. It wasn't just because of the cookies, Emma refused to believe that. She studied Regina's face again and her heart broke a little bit at what she was seeing. Regina's forehead was wrinkled, and her mouth drawn into a thin line. She looked both younger and older than twenty when she did that. Like she was carrying the whole world on her shoulders. Emma was about to say something to her to bring her out of her funk when Regina put a hand on her belly. "__¿Estás bailando de nuevo, mi pequeño?__"_

_"Huh?"_

_"Nothing. Blueberry is just moving again. That's all. Maybe he does like flying after all," Regina said lightly and reached within her purse again. This time she did not look for snacks, though. Instead she found the magazine she had bought in the airport while they waited to board the plane. '__Pregnancy__', the headline read. Underneath, there was a big picture of a very glamorous looking pregnant woman who smiled dazzlingly whilst cradling her pregnant belly. The magazine was apparently loaded with tips and tricks. '__Your guide to the big day__', Emma could read. And: '__Birth partners: How to help them help YOU__'._

_"Can I read that article afterwards?" Emma asked. "I want to know as many tips and tricks as I possibly can."_

_Regina chuckled just a little. "Sure." Then she turned her attention back to the magazine and read whilst her forehead remained wrinkled and her mouth drawn into a line. _

_Emma suffocated a sigh and glanced past Regina out of the window. She did not know why, but she had a feeling that this particular trip to Spain would be an eventful one. If everything went accordingly to plan, she and Regina would most likely be visiting the adoption agency tomorrow already, and... Emma wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about that. And judging by Regina's expression, she didn't know how to feel about it either. _

_ Emma gnashed her teeth and her fingers gripped the edge of the seat underneath her. She had to do that. Exactly like she had to gnash her teeth. That was the only way to prevent certain words from slipping out. Certain words like... '__You can still change your mind, Regina. You are __allowed__ to change your mind...__'_

_**To Be Continued...**_

Another 'slow' chapter where not a lot of things happens. That's because we're once again gearing up for something big! Stay tuned ;)

Spanish translations:

Dios!= God!

Mierda= Fuck!

Lo siento, querida= I'm sorry, dear.

Mi amor= My love.

¿Estás bailando de nuevo, mi pequeño?= Are you dancing again, my little one?


	45. Chapter 45

"Welcome back," Regina said with just a touch of sarcasm in her voice when they stepped inside the apartment.

"Thanks. Do you need to lie down?"

"Probably," Regina joked dryly as she walked over to the window and cranked it open. "_Dios_, this place is a fucking oven!"

Yes, Emma silently agreed with her girlfriend. Regina's apartment was indeed rather warm. It did not matter that it was September, it was still warm in Spain.

"That's better," Regina said and stuck her head out of the window in an attempt to catch a breeze.

"That is giving me an ulcer," Emma said half-seriously. There was definitely something unnerving about seeing Regina hanging halfway out of the window.

"_Lo siento_," Regina chuckled, drawing her head back and glancing at Emma.

"I've missed this place," Emma said warmly and around fondly in Regina's little apartment.

"I have not," Regina said dully. "I'm getting really sick of Spain and the problems coming with it." she smoothened a hand over her belly. "Except you. You're pretty cool."

Emma grinned. Now Regina sounded like a twenty year old again. She hadn't done that in a while.

"So... Who to call first?" Regina mused out loud. "The adoption agency or my father?"

Emma cringed. There was that dry sarcasm again. Now Regina was a sharp business woman in her thirties who did not take any bullshit from anyone.

"Maybe your dad?" the blonde suggested.

"Or maybe it would be better to reach out to the adoption agency before anything else," Regina mumbled. "Before all the good families gets picked by someone else or something like that. Yeah. I think that's what I'll do. In a moment. First I need to sit down."

"That's my girl," Emma praised and followed Regina inside the little living room where they had been sitting many months earlier. On this very couch, Regina had rested her head on Emma's shoulder after taking a second pregnancy test and getting it confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.

Now present-time Regina plopped down gracelessly onto the couch and kicked off her shoes. Groaning slightly, she leaned back. "_Dios_. Those plane seats weren't the most comfortable ones, were they?"

"Nope. I can feel it in my back too, but I'm an old lady, so..."

"Don't be silly," Regina interrupted and chuckled. "You are the opposite of an old lady, Emma. You're a young and extremely sexy woman. End of story."

"A sexy woman, huh?" Emma couldn't resist to echo as she too sat down on the couch and playfully ran her finger over Regina's thigh once.

"_Sí_. A very sexy woman."

"Yeah, but... how sexy?" Emma's voice was perfectly innocent, but her actions definitely not as she ran her finger over Regina's thigh once more.

"Emma Swan, you're coming on to me," Regina accused.

"I'm just patting your leg."

"Yes, you are. And it's doing things to me. So unless you want me sitting in your lap in a moment, you'll stop it at once."

"And... suppose I DO want you in my lap?" Emma asked oh, so sweetly.

"Then you're crazy," Regina stated plainly and rolled her dark eyes at Emma. "You've just been on a plane for over ten hours."

"Yeah. So have you, but you don't seem very tired," Emma pointed out.

"Oh, trust me, I am," Regina said darkly. "I'm just more horny than tired. So there's that..."

"Seriously?" Emma asked, genuinely impressed. "You're horny right now?"

"Very much so. I always am. I'm starting to think it's a permanent thing."

"Well... I'm very happy to help you out whenever you need to, beautiful girl," Emma assured.

Regina chuckled dryly. "Good to know." She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. "I need a shower. But I'm too tired to move."

"I'll carry you?" Emma immediately offered.

"I can walk on my own still," Regina huffed. "But in a few months when I look like I've swallowed a watermelon, I might need you to carry me around."

"You've got yourself a deal, babe. Are we renaming Blueberry to Watermelon?" Emma asked and tried to be funny.

Regina cracked a smile. "No, I don't think so. I like Blueberry better."

"Me, too."

"Mmm..." Regina's head tipped backwards again, and her eyes kept closing. Undoubtedly tired. Emma felt like an absolute monster for having to nudge her girlfriend. "Babe?"

Hrrmph," Regina mumbled. Now her head was tipping forward. Her chin kept hitting her chest every so often.

Again, Emma felt like an absolute monster for having to prevent this from happening. But sitting up and sleeping could not be comfortable. And especially not when you had been sitting in a plane seat for hours and hours. "Sweetheart?" she said gently. "Babe, you can't sleep here. Your back will end up getting all messed up."

"'don't care, I'm fine," Regina groaned, and her body tipped to the left as though she was on the verge of laying down on the couch.

"No, no, no," Emma said swiftly and used her shoulder to ensure Regina stayed upright. "Don't lie down, sweetie. It's uncomfortable for you."

"I told you. I'm fine," Regina half-snapped.

"You're tired as fuck," Emma chuckled as she gently draped Regina's arms around her neck. Then she hooked her arms underneath Regina's knees and lifted her. Yes, Regina was a bit heavier now, but the extra weight did not make Emma's knees buckle.

"Wha' are you doing?" Regina slurred. Now her head was resting on Emma's shoulder.

"I'm carrying you to bed," Emma said simply.

"But I'm too heavy," Regina complained.

"You're not. You're as light as a feather, sweetheart."

"I doubt it," Regina adjusted a bit in Emma's arms.

And Emma felt a bit like a knight in shining armor as she carried her pregnant girlfriend through the living room and towards the bedroom.

"Mmm," Regina said.

"What was that?"

"You're making the baby kick," Regina said. She was almost giggling.

"Seriously? Right now?"

"_Sí_, right now. It's funny. Always happen near you."

Emma got all fuzzy at that. She could have said a number of sweet things, but she just settled for an 'aww', and then she carried Regina the rest of the way into the bedroom. She gently sat Regina down on the bed, and Regina flopped backwards onto the bed. The bed springs creaked a bit. "I will be asleep in five seconds," she vowed.

"Make that ten, beautiful girl," Emma said softly as she opened Regina's closet and took a peek. "What do you wanna wear for bed?"

Regina mumbled something vague, so Emma helped herself as she roamed through Regina's nightwear stuff. Regina was the proud owner of several pair of little shorts and tops, a few warmer pajamas, and -lord have mercy- nightgowns in fancy colors and with even fancier straps here and there. "Ooooh," Emma cooed. "You've been holding out on me, beautiful girl. There are some of these I haven't seen."

"Are you snooping through my underwear?" Regina mumbled. "You shouldn't do that."

"Why not? Got something to hide in there?" Emma teased.

"Don't look in the box on the top shelf. I'll be embarrassed if you do."

Emma immediately glanced at the discreet blue box on the top shelf. "What's in it?"

"Personal items used for entertainment when you're not around."

"Oh," Emma chuckled. "You should totally introduce me to those 'personal items' one day. I'm sure we could have lots of fun together, all of us."

"Stop trying to turn me on."

Emma grinned and wisely left the blue box alone although she was curious to see exactly what was hiding in that box. Instead she grabbed a pair of pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt with a Batman logo printed on the chest. Then she turned around and looked at Regina who looked like she was half-asleep again. Emma sat down on the edge of the bed and started fiddling with Regina's stockings.

Regina looked. Gave Emma an almost cross-eyed yet strangely seductive look. "_¿Vamos a tener sexo ahora? _" she asked ever so sweetly.

Emma spluttered. "Oh boy, you are so jet lagged, aren't you?!"

"You're taking off my stockings, _querida_. What am I supposed to think?"

"I'm getting you undressed for bed," Emma said firmly.

Regina chuckled wickedly.

"Oh, you!" Emma huffed. "Not like _that_!"

"Pity."

"I just don't want you to sleep in your clothes, okay? I don't want you to be uncomfortable while sleeping."

"_Mi caballero de brillante armadura_," Regina hummed. "Fine. Go ahead and take my clothes off if you really think that's necessary."

And Emma very much felt like it was. She tried to be as quick as possible as she undressed Regina. Regina grumbled a little under her breath but did not protest. Only when she was laying in just her panties. That was when she started to complain a little. "I'm cold..."

"I'll fix that in a heartbeat," Emma promised and slipped the pajama shorts up Regina's legs. When the shorts were sitting in their correct place, she carefully helped Regina slip her head and arms through the t-shirt.

"Mmm, kicking," Regina giggled just as Emma was about to pull the t-shirt down over her round belly.

"Yeah? Can I touch?" Emma asked.

"You can always touch my belly, _querida_."

And so Emma did. She gently put her hands on Regina's belly. Wished that she could feel those little kicks against her hand, but of course she could not.

"Kicking harder now," Regina observed. "Maybe he likes your voice."

"Yeah. Maybe he does," Emma nodded and could not resist temptation. She bowed her head, kissed Regina's belly, and then smoothened the long t-shirt over it.

"So much kicking right now," Regina mumbled as her eyes slid closed once more. She curled up on the bed. Curled her body around her growing belly, and Emma was for some ridiculous reason reminded of a dragon protecting her egg.

It did not take long before Regina's breathing evened out and became slow and steady. Emma settled down next to her sleeping girlfriend. She too was tired, but not quite tired enough to go to sleep. Her head was full of thoughts. Thoughts she didn't really have any business thinking, but couldn't help to think anyway. The first thought being that Regina didn't look particularly content. Not even in her sleep. She was curled into a tight ball, and her right hand was glued to her belly.

Emma quietly observed her girlfriend. Was it possible that Regina had changed her mind? Emma knew for sure that SHE had. She was not aware exactly when and how it had happened, but she did know that she didn't want to part ways with the kid when he made his entrance in the world. She wanted him. Both of them. Regina and her baby. Yes. That was exactly what she wanted. She wanted... She wanted them to be a family. The three of them.

Emma closed her eyes and could suddenly see Regina standing with an adorable, chubby cheeked, brown eyed baby boy in her arms. Her son. But then the real Regina made a sound in her sleep, and Emma's fantasy was shattered. She sobered up. She had no business thinking like this. Right from the start, she had promised Regina to respect her decision. And Regina's decision was to give the kid up for adoption. Emma perfectly understood why Regina did it. Not only that. She admired Regina for making such a mature decision, but she couldn't quell the teeny tiny little part of her that wished for something else. Telling Regina about her changing feeling was not an option, though. It wouldn't be fair to Regina to spring this on her. Not when Regina was under this much pressure. And suppose Emma had misread all the signs? Suppose Regina had not changed her mind at all? Then Emma's confession would be devastating. No. It would be devastating either way. Because there was a difference on changing your mind and actually following your heart. Even if Regina had changed her mind, it did not change her circumstances. That she was working as a bartender and a flamenco dancer and only earning just enough money to afford living in her apartment.

_But I could help her,_ Emma thought to herself. _I could take care of them both_._ Her and the baby._ She scoffed a little to herself. Regina would never let her do this. She was particularly sensitive when it came to money, and Emma knew that she would refuse 'hand-outs' and 'charity'. Regina was a proud creature. Determined to get by without her father's or Emma's money. Emma respected that too. And she admired Regina's determination to get by on her own. But still, she wished that she could have reasoned with Regina when it came to this particular subject. If money was the reason Regina chose to give the baby up for adoption...

"_Madre_," Regina mumbled and interrupted Emma's train of thoughts.

Emma's heart broke a little bit as she looked at the sleeping Regina. Yeah. This made pretty good sense. Your subconsciousness had a way of pulling up the things you thought about the most. And in her sleep, Regina was requesting the thing all women young or old needs when they feel lost. Their mother. Emma felt the anger bubbling in her chest. She hated Cora for this. Hated her for turning her back on her pregnant daughter when she needed her the most. Henry was a wonderful person and father, no doubt of that, but he had never been through childbirth. He couldn't give Regina the same kind of advises Regina's mother could. And she refused to be a part of it. And why? Why couldn't she just respect Regina's decision and support her? Why did Cora Mills have to be so screwed up and selfish?!

Regina mumbled something again, but this time it sounded like mostly nonsense, and Emma couldn't understand it. But Regina didn't have to be coherent in order for Emma to understand her. Quite the reverse, Regina made herself perfectly understandable as she in her sleep snuggled into Emma's side and slung a leg over the blonde's hip.

"Friendly even in your sleep," Emma murmured quietly not to wake Regina. Regina had been quite affectionate before, but pregnancy had most definitely only intensified it. And Emma did not complain at all. She started to gently stroke Regina's hair, and if it was possible for someone to purr in your sleep, that was exactly what Regina was doing right now. Emma wasn't overly comfortable in this position. Regina's leg was weighting her down, and she was also boiling because Regina was laying so close to her and the apartment was warm, but would she even as much as dream of moving? No way in hell! Regina was comfortable, and that was the only thing that mattered. Seriously, waking your pregnant girlfriend just because you were a teensy bit uncomfortable was almost a deadly sin.

"You just sleep for as long as you need, babe. I'm not going anywhere," Emma promised.

Regina made another purring sound in her sleep, and Emma reminded herself to sweetly tease her girlfriend about it at some point. Seriously, Regina was purring in her sleep. That was fucking adorable. And she was also burrowing further into Emma's side. Like a koala bear. Strangely enough, there had been a point where Emma wasn't that enthusiastic about cuddling in bed. Neal had had such an annoying way to cuddle. But Regina was not Neal. And she was an expert of cuddling. She had warned Emma about being a cuddler in bed long ago, but as her belly grew, the cuddling intensified. Perhaps pregnant women simply liked their cuddles...

Regina was asleep for a couple of hours. By the time she woke up, Emma, who in the meantime had fallen asleep too, was roused from her sleep in the most delightful way possible. Regina kissed her cheek and then her forehead and gently said that she hated to wake Emma but was afraid that sleeping any longer would mess with her sense of time. Emma had clasped her hands around the back of Regina's neck to keep her there for just a little bit longer. They had kissed each other a few times, and then Regina broke Emma's heart by leaving the bed.

"I have to call my dad," she said as she disappeared into the living room where she had left her phone. Emma heard her putter around in there for a moment, and then an all too chipper: "_hola, papi! ¿Cómo estás?_"

Emma sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she listened to Regina's casual small talk with her dad. "_Sí, volvimos hace unas horas. Pero ha ocurrido algo, papi,_ _y eso es- ¿Qué? Oh! No, no, no! Estoy bien. Mmm, el bebé también. No es así._"

Emma heard the fridge open and suffocated a smile. Someone was hungry again.

"_Se trata de Sofía y Alessandra,_" Regina continued. Now the fridge was slamming shut, and Emma heard the rustling of a paper bag. Then munching. Regina was eating something crunchy. Chips, maybe? Onion rings? That had been *the* craving lately. "_Han cambiado de opinión. Si. No pueden adoptar al bebé de todos modos_," Regina said. "_Si. Es muy lamentable. Realmente me gustaron mucho, pero supongo que no hay nada que pueda hacer. Alessandra estaba llorando cuando me llamó. Me siento mal por ella. Creo que ella era la que más quería esto_." More crunching. Regina was clearly particularly hungry right now. Emma sniffed into the air. Onion rings. Definitely onion rings. Delicious. She sort of hoped that Regina would save her a few.

"_Solo tengo que empezar de nuevo. Emma y yo vamos a visitar la agencia de adopción. Con suerte, la Sra. Peréz me puede ayudar a encontrar una nueva familia_," Regina sounded a little disheartened now. The crunching stopped, and she suddenly switched over to English: "yeah, I'm fine. I'm just worried that I won't be able to find a new family. I mean, how can I be certain that they won't change their minds too? I want to find a family who wants him, daddy. Truly wants him. What? Did I say 'him'? Oh. No, I don't know the sex of the baby. I just... have a feeling it's a boy, that's all. I might be wrong, though. Could be a girl, I suppose."

Emma had the strongest feeling that Regina was not wrong, though. She too suspected that the baby growing inside Regina was in fact a boy.

"Yeah, I promise I'll call you as soon as we're done at the adoption agency. Okay. Yes, I'll tell Emma you said hi. Okay. Bye, daddy. _Te amo_."

Emma heard a faint clack as though Regina had just put down her phone. "One down, one to go," she told Emma.

"How'd he take it?" Emma asked.

"Pretty good. Not too happy with Sofía and Alessandra, though. He never met them, obviously, but he liked them too. Because I liked them. But he was sure I would find a new family for '_El bebé más dulce del universo'_."

"Which means...?"

"'The sweetest baby in the universe'," Regina translated as she came back into the bedroom, armed with her phone and a bag of onion rings. She tossed the bag to Emma. "Here, _querida_. Have some onion rings."

"Thanks. He said that?" Emma asked softly.

"Mm. He was being all goofy," Regina replied and strode over to the bed. In one elegant movement, she was climbing up on the bed to sit cross legged with her phone in hand. "Now I'm calling Liliana Pérez," she announced darkly. "And ruining her day. She was _so_ pleased. Called it a perfect match and everything. Oh well..." a tiny wrinkle appeared between Regina's eyes as she dialed the number to Liliana Pérez. She scrunched up her nose in that adorable fashion she often did when she and Emma made eye contact.

"These are good," Emma said and nodded towards the bag of onion rings.

"Too good," Regina agreed. "I could probably eat the whole bag if not stopped."

"If you want to eat the whole bag, you should go ahead and-"

"Heartburn," Regina interrupted as she brought the phone up to her ear and scrunched up her nose again. "It's been bugging me for the past couple of days."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You haven't told me that."

"I don't have to tell you everything, do I?" Regina teased and adjusted a bit. Frowning, she glanced down at her growing belly. "Stop it. I'm not giving you anymore onion rings!"

Emma chuckled and squashed the pinching sensation somewhere low in her stomach. "Kid wants onion rings, does he?"

"_Sí_, apparently. Maybe he thinks that- _señora Peréz! Hola!_ _Sí, esta es Regina Mills. ¿Nos conocimos hace unos meses? Sí. Exactamente._" She quickly turned her head and glanced at Emma. "She remembers me."

"Well, that's a good thing."

"Mmm, it sure is- _Si, tengo un problema._ _Las padres adoptivas han cambiado de opinión. Si. Sí, es muy lamentable. Me siento muy estresado..._" it sounded like Regina was trailing off, but Emma could hear señora Peréz in the other end. She was clearly not at all pleased, Emma could tell that from her tone, but her voice was still soft and gentle and patient.

"_Bien. Si. Eso me queda bien. A las doce. Bueno. Estaremos ahí. Muchas gracias. Adiós._" And just like that, Regina concluded her phone call and put the phone down.

"Well?" Emma asked and shoved another onion ring inside her mouth.

"I have an appointment with _señora Peréz _at twelve," Regina replied. "She was very eager to fit me in as soon as possible. She was very surprised. I think she'd like to know why Sofía and Alessandra changed their mind about the adoption. Maybe it's something to do with protocol or something like that, but anyway, I've got an appointment at twelve. I know you're jetlagged, but you're going with me, right?"

"Of course I am," Emma scoffed. "You don't even have to _ask_."

Regina smiled. "Thank you. I don't think I can do this process on my own again. It was difficult enough the first time. Now you can help me looking at families."

"Yeah, that I can... do..." Emma's voice trailed off, but Regina didn't seem to notice. Because she too looked like she had just gone somewhere where Emma could not follow her. What was she thinking? The question was burning on Emma's tongue. '_Are you having second thoughts?_' she wanted to ask. Oh, how she wanted to ask! But she knew that the question could shatter everything if asked out loud. It could devastate everything. So of course Emma kept the question to herself. She was going to keep her mouth shut. Unless Regina said something that hinted a potential change of heart. But if that was not going to happen, Emma would stay silent and support her girlfriend instead of asking her heart breaking questions.

"Adoption agency today and work tomorrow," Regina said, breaking the silence. "And then hopefully some time to be your girlfriend." She flashed Emma a smile. "Do you know how long you're planning on staying this time, _mi amor_?"

"I'm staying until we know a little more about..."

"The future?" Regina suggested.

"Yeah, exactly. The future," Emma agreed and tugged teasingly at Regina's curls.

"Maybe you should just stay forever then," Regina sighed. "Because I feel like the future keeps changing and changing..."

"There's been some turbulence along the way," Emma agreed. "But guess what remains constant?"

"What?"

"Me," Emma grinned, leaning and bussing Regina on the lips. "I'm not going anywhere. You know that, right?"

"_Sí_. I know. I'm not going anywhere. Except for into the shower." with that Regina rose from the bed. But perhaps a tad too quickly. She stumbled and nearly collided with the wall. "Oops," she giggled. "If my balance doesn't get better after this, I'm complaining."

"Be careful!" Emma barked.

"Of course. Do you want to take a shower with me?" Regina asked softly.

Obviously, there was only one answer to that. Emma was out of bed in a heartbeat...

_Señora Peréz _was a highly professional looking woman with her white hair scraped back in a bun and wearing a pair of charcoal colored trousers and matching blazer.

But she wasn't the only one who looked professional. Regina too had found her fancy clothes. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and a short sleeved white blouse. She had tied her hair back in a sleek, high ponytail. Her makeup was a shade darker than it normally was. Not 'flamenco-level', but still darker than normally. She looked older than twenty. And Emma thought to herself that that probably was the intention. She hadn't commented on it, though. If Regina needed to look older than twenty, so be it. That was her decision.

_S__eñora Peréz_ acted as professionally as she looked. Regina was welcome with open arms. Two kisses on each cheek and the offer of tea and biscuits. Emma was given a warm handshake, and she too was offered tea and biscuits. Both of them said yes to that offer.

Then they were taken to a very sleek looking office. Mahogany desk. Framed diplomas. A bookcase packed with books. And of course, framed pictures of families with children. Families, _Señora Peréz _was responsible for bringing together. Children that had been adopted by families who looked overjoyed. The children were the centerpiece of every framed picture, and the parents looked like their biggest dream had come true. Which it probably had. It was strange to think that the baby Regina was carrying could end up in a framed picture with parents whose faces were vague to Emma. Thinking about it made her feel weird. So she forced herself not to. She tore her gaze away from all the framed pictures and looked at _Señora Peréz_ instead. She had sat down in the 'boss-chair' behind the mahogany desk with her fingers lightly interlaced as she listened attentively to Regina's story without interrupting. Regina told the story as quickly as possible and with as few details as she could. She didnt tell _Señora Peréz_that the adoption had fallen through because Sofía had cheated on Alessandra, and Emma found that to be very big of Regina. Sofía had literally screwed her over, and yet Regina was respectful enough to keep the reason for the cancelation out of her story.

"Well," _Señora Peréz_said, folding her hands under her chin. "What an unfortunate situation, _Señorita_ Mills. I do apologize on behalf of the adoption agency of course."

"The agency can hardly be blamed," Regina replied, and Emma was grateful that this conversation was in English. She wanted to be a part of it.

"They were a part of the agency, _Señorita _Mills," the older woman said. "And as such the adoption agency is partially to blame for this. They were screened and asked if they truly were ready to become parents."

"I guess that wasn't the case anyway," Regina murmured.

"It would seem not," _Señora Peréz_ said a bit tightly and her mouth became a thin line. "But fret not, _Señorita_ Mills. They're not the only family out there. There are plenty of other families who are desperate to get a baby. It's only a question of you choosing the family that speaks to _you_."

Regina nodded and looked a bit absentmindedly again. Emma reached out and gave her hand a little squeeze. Just to remind her that she was still there. Regina turned her head and flashed her a little smile.

_Señora Peréz_ opened a drawer and found a large leather folder overflowing with papers. "Why don't you take a look at these for a start?"

"Okay," Regina said and carefully took the large folder from _Señora Peréz_. She opened it and glanced at all the papers inside it.

So did Emma. About a million smiling faces met her eyes. Beautiful people trying to convince the reader that they were the perfect parents. Same-sex couples, straight couples. Younger. Older. Blondes. Brunettes. And everything in between. Emma was getting confused just from looking at first few pages, and when she glanced at Regina, she saw her own confusion mirrored in the brunette's eyes.

"It is as overwhelming as it was the first time," she murmured.

"Of course,"_ Señora Peréz_ said kindly. "That is perfectly understandable. It is a big decision."

"_Sí_. It is."

"But you have so many possibilities," the elderly woman smiled. "So many families just waiting for that special phone call."

"Yeah," was all Regina said as she turned her attention back to the leather bound folder in her lap. She flipped a few pages forward. More smiling families met Emma's eyes. More smiling couples who wanted a child more than anything.

"I don't know," Regina murmured. "There are so many couples. How do I know if I've chosen the right one? How can they guarantee that they won't change their mind after what happened with Sofía and Alessandra?"

"I do find it hard to believe that the same thing would happen twice, _Señorita_ Mills," Liliana Peréz said kindly. "Sofía and Alessandra might have been what we call a special case, but it is highly unlikely that the next couple will be."

"_Sí_, I know, but it's still so... difficult," Regina said and bit her bottom lip.

"It is a big decision," Liliana Peréz repeated and smiled encouragingly at Regina. "One that should not be taken lightly or on a whim. I think you should take that folder-" she nodded to the leather bound folder in Regina's lap. "Home with you. Go over it for as long as you like, and then select three or four couples you think stand out. Then I will arrange a meeting with the couples, and once you've met all of them, you can decide which one you like best. Does that sound like a plan?"

"_Sí_. It does," Regina nodded.

"_Eso es lo que pasará entonces_." Liliana Ramiréz stood from her chair and walked around the table. She smiled kindly at Regina. "_No es para preocuparse_, _Señorita_ _Mills_. _Hay otra familia para el bebé_."

"_Sí, lo sé. Gracias, Sra. Ramiréz_," Regina said as she too rose from her chair. She shook hands with Liliana Ramiréz and then wedged the leather bound folder under her arm.

"_Adiós. Y gracias_," Emma said and immediately cringed because her Spanish sounded SO rusty. She was definitely better at understanding the language than speaking it. She seriously would have to do something about that. Like, honestly!

"_Adiós, señorita Swan_," Liliana said kindly and shook Emma's hand once as she smiled.

And just like that, Emma and Regina's visit to the adoption agency was over with. It felt like they had only been there for five minutes. Such effectivity, Emma thought to herself. Such snap decisions made over the course of minutes. That folder was full of hundred if not thousand families who all wanted the same thing. How was Regina supposed to choose just three or four? How was she supposed to pick out so few when the selection was so big? It was not difficult to understand why Regina felt overwhelmed.

Regina did not say very much on the short drive back to the apartment in _Puerta Del Sol_. Well, except for... "The baby is kicking again," she observed. Then she frowned. "I'm not sure why I keep telling you. It's not like you can use that information for anything."

"Yet," Emma softly added. "But soon I CAN use that information to something. Like... squealing 'oh my god' like a big fat cliché."

Regina offered a very soft chuckle and then switched the volume up on the radio. Some Spanish song Emma didn't know was playing, and it didn't take long before Regina started to sing along to the music with that delightful, crispy voice of hers. Her voice seemed to go a bit darker when she sang, and Emma found that to be quite interesting. The next song playing on the radio was one Emma knew particularly well. With or Without You. Regina did her utmost to try and outsing Bono, and soon Emma joined in on the 'singing-party'. If karaoke was the thing Regina needed to 'decompress', then so be it. What Regina wanted, she could have.

When the song was over, Regina laughed heartedly. "That was fun. We should do that more often."

"Yeah, but I don't think the guy in the car behind us liked it," Emma observed. They had been driving with their windows down, and the guy in the car behind them looked particularly unamused...

There was not much amusement left when they got back to the apartment, though. Regina began her 'homework' right away (or, right after she had changed into something more comfortable), and started flicking through the large folder overflowing with papers. Her forehead remained wrinkled while doing so, and more than once, Emma caught her mumbling to herself in Spanish.

Emma sat down next to her on the couch and together they started going through the folder. So many families. So many good reasons to choose all of them. All of them had so much to offer. Every last heart overflowing with love for a child they had not yet met. The more Emma looked at the pictures, the more hopeful the parents-to-be's smiles became. Some of the couples lived in the city. Some of them lived farther away. There were single women in the album, single men, couples who already had one or two children. Couples with other adopted children. Couples with biological children who hadn't been able to conceive a second time and only wanted to love and care for one more child. There were couples of every race and culture, from lawyers to artists, and Emma was thoroughly overwhelmed by the amount of information she was being fed just by studying the passages written about the couples.

"_¡Esto es imposible!_" Regina said shortly and slammed the album shut.

"Yeah, there are... a lot of people to choose from," Emma said a bit lamely. "I understand why you would find this confusing, sweetheart. I mean, how are you even supposed to choose three or four couples out of all these people? There are so many. How are you even supposed to know which couple is the right one?"

"_NONE_ of them seem right," Regina said bitterly. "I thought that it would be like the last time. That I would look at one of the pictures and just KNOW. Like I did with Alessandra and Sofía. But it feels like I won't experience it again because of how that ended. I don't know... Maybe I'm confused. Or rattled because of the way it ended. I mean, one minute they were excited about the baby and planning a baby shower, and the next moment... poof. No more adoption."

"Do you think it's maybe going too fast?" Emma asked gently. A risky question.

"_Tal vez_," Regina murmured. "That could be the reason why I'm so confused. Because I'm moving forward so quickly. Maybe I need to take a step back and... do something else until I feel better about looking through that album."

"I think that sounds very sensible, beautiful girl," Emma said softly. "Do you feel very tired?"

"No, not in particular. Why?"

"Well, perhaps you'd like to go for a walk in the park with me?" Emma suggested.

Regina smiled. "_Sí_. I'd like that very much."

With the decision made, they left Regina's apartment again. Walked down the street in the balmy air, and Regina gradually started to look more relaxed. They did not talk more about the album that day. Instead they dedicated the rest of the day to lighthearted jokes and sweet kisses...

The next night found Emma parked in one of the tall chairs near the bar, nursing a colorful drink. Regina was standing behind the bar, mixing said drinks and smiling at everyone who came to buy a drink from her. She looked perfectly happy, and Emma was relieved to see that. They had ended up having a very good day yesterday. Their walk to the park had been nice. Their lunch on the little pavement café on the way home had been nice. Lazily watching series on Netflix that afternoon had been nice. And the takeout they had ordered later had been nice. Not to mention their late night 'bedroom activities' long after the lights had been switched off. That had been more than nice. It had been fucking fantastic! Regina had been quite insatiable, and Emma had quickly gotten the impression that she was blowing off steam, but Emma did not mind that. She was more than willing to help with that. Oh yes, more than willing! She had lost track of time. Didn't know how long she and Regina had been 'at it' last night, but she did know that she had been delightfully sore the next morning, and Regina had complained over a 'fucked up' back, so all in all, they had done good.

Emma took a sip of her drink and licked her lips as she looked at Regina. In many ways, this was exactly like in the good old days. Only difference being that Regina no longer took sips of the drinks, and that her smile perhaps looked a tiny bit strained. But whether that was because she was concerned or simply tired remained unclear. Her hair was all curly tonight. Wild. And of course with a purple flower inserted. The color matched her purple top to perfection, and in Emma's humble opinion, it did not matter whether Regina was wearing a pencil skirt or jeans. She looked fabulous no matter what. And she was clearly in her element. Mixing drinks with quick and experienced hands and smiling oh so sweetly at her customers. A few of them (men and women) tried to flirt with her, Emma had seen that. But all Regina needed to do was take one discreet step backwards and show off her bump. Funnily enough, that made everyone who had tried to flirt with her back off fairly quickly. Regina had fondly called her bump 'the flirt-repellant', and Emma actually quite liked that description. Very fitting indeed. She took another sip of her colorful drink, thoroughly enjoying it. Regina was a damn good at mixing drinks. But then again, she had said so back when they met. She had actually used her drink mixing skills to hit on the blonde. Emma chuckled at the memory. She glanced discreetly at her watch. Only about a half an hour until Regina could clock out. Good. Emma wanted her to put her feet up when they got back to the apartment. She also had every intention of rubbing Regina's feet. She had noticed that they had been a bit swollen last night. And they would probably be even more swollen tonight after Regina had been on her feet for most of the night. Of course it was Emma's job to massage her pregnant girlfriend's feet. She was actually born for the job. And she had every intention of telling Regina that if she protested. She probably would. But Emma had a secret weapon. The puppy dog eyes. They always worked like a charm.

"Are you having a nice time, _preciosa_?" Regina asked, interrupting Emma's train of thoughts when she passed by the blonde's place at the table.

"_Sí_," Emma teased. "A very nice time. Are you?"

"Mmm, for some strange reason I've missed working," Regina chuckled. "It's fun, but I don't seem to have the same energy I once had."

"Guess who's going to put her feet up when we get home?" Emma asked rhetorically.

Regina innocently widened her eyes and pursed her lips. "I don't think I could possibly guess, _mi amor_."

"You are."

"Am I indeed? And how are you planning on making that happen?"

"Oh, I have ways," Emma silkily assured and smirked at her girlfriend. "Trust me, I have sooo many ways to make sure you're relaxed."

Exactly as expected, a tint of rosy rose in Regina's cheeks, and her dark eyes flickered slightly. "Emma," she said lowly. "_Eso no es decente_."

"I don't care whether it's decent or not," Emma chuckled.

"I could get fired for flirting with you," Regina warned. "Not everyone here knows that you're my girlfriend."

"Fair point," Emma acknowledged and adjusted a bit on the high chair. "I'll stop being indecent and wait until we get home..."

"Not helping at all," Regina groaned and rolled those expressive dark eyes at Emma. The effect was very good when she was wearing this amount of eyeliner. She looked properly displeased, and Emma almost felt nervous about her safety. Regina could look quite intimidating when she wanted to. And she also had her own subtle way of flirting. Emma chuckled to herself as Regina sauntered back to the bar to make another drink. There was just something about bartender Regina. She was effortlessly sexy. Emma shifted a bit on the chair and tried not to stare too much at Regina. Otherwise the other customs would notice it, and they really could not have that. Regina was at work. Now was not the time to be inappropriate. No matter how much Emma wanted to. Instead she took another sip of her drink and settled with that.

It was a very nice night. Regina looked young and unconcerned for once. Mixing and serving drinks and talking to the customers and her co-workers. She looked happy and was laughing a lot. Exactly like she used to do before everything got so difficult. There was a little bounce in her step. A lightness to the way she walked and talked and served drinks. Tonight she was simply Roni who worked at the bar.

The bar was packed with people. It was a highly popular destination on a Saturday night, and Regina was easily one of the most popular bartenders/waitresses. She attracted both men and women, and Emma of course couldn't resist to tease her a bit about it.

"Good thing I have 'the flirt-repellant', then," Regina said unconcerned and shrugged whilst rubbing her bump. "This one magically makes everyone go away. Except you."

"Good," Emma said simply.

A smile tugged at the corners of Regina's lips. "Are you jealous, _mi amor_?"

"Of course I am," Emma admitted. "But then again, you're gorgeous. Of course everyone with eyes notices that."

"Don't be silly," Regina protested and laughed. "I am not gorgeous!"

"Uhh... Have you seen yourself, sweetheart?"

"_Sí_. Unfortunately. And I'm swollen and puffy all over," Regina said darkly and folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh, please," Emma scoffed. "That is absolute bullshit."

"_Querida_, I AM puffy. I can feel it in my feet."

"Don't worry. I'll handle those when we get home," Emma assured.

"Oh yeah?" Regina lowered her voice and raised an eyebrow. "Can you 'handle' other things as well?"

"I'm an expert in handling other things," Emma smirked. "But I thought no flirting on the job?"

"I'm not flirting," Regina said innocently. "If I was, I would tell you exactly what I need you to handle..."

"Okay!" Emma yelped and felt her heart skip five thousand beats. "Jesus, woman! You'll be the death of me!"

"You're being silly again," Regina observed and turned around to walk back to her spot behind the bar. She let out a soft chuckle when she stumbled slightly. "Oops. Damn balance. I think that might be a new 'symptom', _mi amor_!"

"One that I dislike," Emma grumbled. "Be careful, please!"

"I always am," Regina snickered as she slipped back in her bartender role and smiled at the new customer. "_Hola, ¿qué puedo ofrecerte esta noche?_"

Emma zoned out and sipped her drink while the customer ordered a drink.

Yes, tonight was a great night. Both Emma and Regina laughed a lot and had a good old time. But it does not take much to ruin a perfectly great night. In this case it only took a door opening. That was all. The newly arrived customer naturally made Regina look up, and Emma saw how she paled completely. Confused, Emma followed Regina's gaze, and she cursed loudly at what she saw. Marian. Yep. Fucking Marian coming inside the bar. Exactly like she had done those other nights where Regina had been in Storybrooke. Emma's first imminent thought was to grab Regina and run. But she couldn't exactly do that, could she? And Regina's shift was ending in two minutes, thank god.

But nevertheless, Emma leapt from her chair and found one closer to where Regina was standing. She had put herself between Robin and Regina, and she had no problem with doing the same if Marian got any ideas.

"Of all the bars in all of Spain..." Regina muttered. "Why this one?" she tugged at the knot in the apron she was wearing. "What the hell does she WAN'T from me?! I already SAID I was sorry! And taken a slap across the face! What else can I give her?!"

"Nothing," Emma said firmly. "Absolutely nothing, Regina. You don't owe her anything. She's targeting the wrong person!"

"She's seen me," Regina dully observed.

Emma discreetly glanced behind her, and sure enough, Marian was sitting in the corner, looking directly at Regina. No. Not looking. Glaring.

"Wonderful," Regina said sardonically.

Emma was about to say something or potentially stomp over to Marian's table and ask what the fuck her problem was when Regina's boss emerged, smiled at Regina and said something in Spanish Emma recognized as the go-ahead signal to clock out.

"Excellent timing," Regina said when her boss had disappeared. In a matter of seconds, she had taken off her apron. She flashed Emma a little smile. "Shall we go home?"

"Yes. Absolutely!" Emma said eagerly. The sooner they got away from Marian's glare, the better!

Regina came around the bar desk, and Emma slipped her arms around her. Gave Regina a little squeeze. They were both more than ready to go home now.

_**CRASH!**_

Naturally, the loud sound caused both women to look up. It did not take Emma long to find the source of the noise. Marian had either dropped or thrown her newly served drink on the floor. She had risen from the chair and was now staring wide eyed at Regina. Or more specifically, at Regina's belly.

Emma growled.

"It's okay, _querida_," Regina murmured. "I couldn't stay hidden behind the counter all night. She was going to find out sooner or later. Come on. Let's go upstairs so I can get my stuff."

"Okay," Emma said and reluctantly turned her back on the still staring Marian. They had to ignore her. Walk away and pretend that everything was fine. And hope that Marian would order an extra large drink or something.

They walked up the stairs to the room where the employees kept their bags and jackets while they were working. Both Emma and Regina slipped inside the room, and Emma closed the door behind them. She didn't really have permission to be in the employees room, but Regina's boss was downstairs, and Emma doubted he had noticed that she had gone up here. He was far too busy serving the customers. And most likely mopping up Marian's spilled drink. She chose to believe that he would not come in here anytime soon.

"First Robin and now Marian," Regina huffed as she slipped her ragged denim jacket on in a quick, aggressive movement. "I thought Spain was supposed to be a big country..."

"Yeah. Me too."

"What more can she possibly want?" Regina asked aloud and ran her fingers through her hair in pure frustration. "Well, obviously I know what she wants NOW." she grimaced whilst gesturing to her swelling belly. "But before that, what's the POINT with coming to my work all the time? I wonder what kind of lies Robin told her?! That I'm the one obsessed with him? That I'm stalking HIM or some shit-" she didn't finish the sentence and laughed bitterly instead. "_Dios_, imagine that! If he's actually told her that I'm the one who's-"

"She's crazy," Emma interrupted and gritted her teeth. She's crazy and he's crazy, okay?"

"I'm afraid I'M going crazy," Regina muttered as she buttoned her denim jacket with more vigor than usually and smoothened it over her rounded belly. "Seriously, how much stress can one person take before they explode?"

"Nobody is exploding," Emma said firmly and squared her shoulders. "Least of all you. We just need to get home and get you relaxed."

"_Sí_, that sounds nice." Regina sighed and clicked her tongue as she looked down at her belly. "Now is not the time, kiddo."

"Are you ready to get the hell out of here?" Emma asked as Regina grabbed her little bag and slung it over her shoulder. She feared that this stress would harm Regina somehow.

"_Sí_. Absolutely!"

"Come on then, beautiful girl. Allow me to escort you home," Emma said and tried to sound as gallant as possible.

Regina offered a grateful chuckle when Emma opened the door with a refined movement.

But every last attempt at being gallant and jokey disappeared in thin air when the opened door revealed Marian standing outside. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, and her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"_Mierda_," Regina muttered quietly.

"Leave," Emma said shortly to Marian.

Obviously, that did not work. Marian lifted a trembling finger and pointed at Regina. "_¡Estás jodidamente embarazada!_" she shrieked, and her finger wasn't the only part of her that was trembling. So was her voice.

"_Sí_," Regina said shortly and grabbed Emma's hand as she made her way past Marian and slipped out of the room. "_Vamos, Emma_. Let's get out of here."

But Marian was not that easy to rebuff. She followed them back to the stairs. "_¡¿Quien es el padre?!_" she hissed. Her forehead was so scrunched up in anger you could barely see her eyes. Her nostrils were flaring, and her cheeks were flaming red.

"_No lo sé. Algún chico_," Regina said, and although Emma did not understand exactly what that meant, she could hear the lie in Regina's voice. It was almost painfully obvious.

"_¡Estás mintiendo!_" Marian shouted, voice rising in both strength and volume with each sentence.

"Okay, that's enough!" Emma said firmly. "Leave us the hell alone, Marian!" they had now reached the top of the stairs. The bar was full of people who were looking curiously at them, at the last thing Regina needed was a scene at her work.

"_¡Cállate!_" Marian spat at her before turning back to Regina. "_¿Quién es el padre del bebé, putita?!_"

"Don't you fucking DARE calling her that!" Emma yelled and clenched her fists. She was SO ready punch Marian in the face!

Marian ignored her and took a step closer to Regina. "¡¿_Quién te dejó embarazada?!__Jodida respondeme, puta!_"

"¡_NO LO SÉ_!" Regina shouted. She had instinctively taken a step backwards when Marian came closer, and now she was letting go of Emma's hand to gesture wildly. "_No sé quién es el padre, ¿de acuerdo?!_"

"_¡Mentirosa_!" Marian screamed, and now she was gesturing too. "_¡¿Es Robin ?! ¡¿Lo es?!_"

"_N-no_," Regina said, but her voice wasn't nearly as steady anymore. "_¡No, no es él!_"

"_¡SÍ LO ES! ¡SÍ LO ES! ¡ADMITIR QUE ES ÉL! ¡ADMITE QUE ÉL ES EL PADRE!_"

"_Marian, por favor_," Regina whispered, but Marian was well past the point where you could reason with her. Her cheeks were flaming, and her eyes were completely bloodshot. She looked like she hadn't slept for three weeks. She looked dangerous. On the verge of screaming the whole bar down because of the crime she felt like Regina had committed.

It all happened so quickly. One moment it looked like Marian was going to scream at the top of her lungs again, and the next second, she was suddenly lunging forward, swinging her hand at Regina to punch her in the face like she already had done once. Regina instinctively took a step backwards and ducked her head to avoid the open palm being swung at her. She only narrowly avoided being slapped in the face a second time, but there was nothing to catch her when she stepped backwards. They were standing at the top of the stairs. Solid ground was one step further down, and Regina was not prepared for that. The sudden backwards jerk had prevented her from regaining balance before it was too late. It was like everything happened too fast and in slow motion at the same time, and even though Emma roughly pushed past Marian in order to come to her girlfriend's aid, it was too late, and there was nothing she could do except for watching in horror as Regina stumbled and with a surprised little '_Oh, mierda!_' tumbled backwards down the flight of stairs...

**To Be Continued...**

_Spanish translations:_

_Lo siento= I'm sorry._

_¿Vamos a tener sexo ahora?= Are we going to have sex now?_

"_Mi caballero de brillante armadura= My knight in shining armor._

_Hola, papi! ¿Cómo estás?= Hello Daddy! How are you?_

_Sí, volvimos hace unas horas. Pero ha ocurrido algo, papi, y eso es- ¿Qué? Oh! No, no, no! Estoy bien. Mmm, el bebé también. No es así= Yes, we came back a few hours ago. But something's happened, Daddy, and that's- What? Oh! No no no! I'm fine. Mmm, the baby too. It's not like that._

_Se trata de Sofía y Alessandra= It's about Sofía and Alessandra._

_Solo tengo que empezar de nuevo. Emma y yo vamos a visitar la agencia de adopción. Con suerte, la Sra. Peréz me puede ayudar a encontrar una nueva familia= I just have to start over. Emma and I are going to visit the adoption agency. Hopefully, Ms. Peréz can help me find a new family._

_Señora Peréz! Hola! Sí, esta es Regina Mills. ¿Nos conocimos hace unos meses? Sí. Exactamente= Mrs. Peréz! Hi! Yes, this is Regina Mills. We met a few months ago? Yes, exactly._

_Si, tengo un problema. Las padres adoptivas han cambiado de opinión. Si. Sí, es muy lamentable. Me siento muy estresado.= Yes, I have a problem. The adoptive parents have changed their minds. Yes. Yes, it is very unfortunate. I feel very stressed._

_Bien. Si. Eso me queda bien. A las doce. Bueno. Estaremos ahí. Muchas gracias. Adiós= Okay. Yes. That suits me well. At twelve. Okay. We will be there. Thank you very much. Goodbye._

_Eso es lo que pasará entonces= That's what will happen then._

_No es para preocuparse, Señorita Mills. Hay otra familia para el bebé= Not to worry, Miss Mills. There is another family for the baby._

_Sí, lo sé. Gracias, Sra. Ramiréz= Yes I know. Thank you, Mrs. Ramiréz._

_Adiós. Y gracias= goodbye. And thank you._

_Adiós, señorita Swan= goodbye, miss Swan._

_¡Esto es imposible!= This is impossible!_

_Tal vez= Maybe._

_Mierda= Shit._

_¡Estás jodidamente embarazada!= You are fucking pregnant!_

_¡¿Quien es el padre?!= Who is the father?!_

_No lo sé. Algún chico= I dont know. Some guy._

_¡Estás mintiendo!= You're lying!_

_¡Cállate!= Shut up!_

_¿Quién es el padre del bebé, putita?!= Who is the father of the baby, bitch?!_

_¡¿Quién te dejó embarazada?! Jodida respondeme, puta!= Who got you pregnant?! Fucking answer me, bitch!_

_¡NO LO SÉ!= I DON'T KNOW!_

_No sé quién es el padre, ¿de acuerdo?!= I don't know who the father is, okay?!_

_¡Mentirosa!= Liar!_

_¡¿Es Robin?! ¡¿Lo es?!= Is it Robin?! Is it?!_

_¡No, no es él!= No, it's not him!_

_¡SÍ LO ES! ¡SÍ LO ES! ¡ADMITIR QUE ES ÉL! ¡ADMITE QUE ÉL ES EL PADRE!= YES IT IS! YES IT IS! ADMIT THAT IT IS HIM! ADMIT THAT HE IS THE FATHER!_

_Marian, por favor= Marian, please._


	46. Chapter 46

(A/N: Firstly, this chapter is very, very long. You've been warned!

Secondly, major trigger warning for talk and thoughts about miscarriages, injuries, fainting, hospitals and generally very angsty stuff.)

It was like the sounds from the busy bar had become muted. She could hear was her heart slamming against her ribcage with each beat. She could hear the almost animalistic, panicked scream tearing from her throat. Her body felt limp and her feet heavy. It still felt like everything was happening in slow motion as Emma ran down the staircase Regina had fallen from only seconds prior. That fall would haunt Emma for the rest of her life. The way there suddenly had been no steps underneath Regina's feet. The way gravity had deserted her. And the way she had tumbled down the stairs like a ragdoll with her arms and legs flailing in an attempt to grab onto something that wasn't there.

Now Regina was lying at the bottom of the stairs. Folded up in a kind of fetal like position. But whether she had landed like that or rolled into the position was unclear.

Emma almost fell herself as she skipped the last three steps and then let out another feral scream. She fell to her knees next to Regina. She was bleeding from a nasty gash on her forehead and her eyes were closed.

"Regina!" Emma yelled and gripped her girlfriend's shoulder. She didn't dare shaking her. "No, no, no, no, no! Wake up! Come on! Wake up! Come on, baby, wake up!"

But Regina did not react, and now the thundering of footsteps roared in Emma's ears. A flood of people with Regina's boss first came rushing to help.

"_¡Una ambulancia! ¡Llama una ambulancia! __¡Necesitamos una ambulancia!_" Emma screeched with a voice that did not sound like her own. And she didn't have to say it. Regina's boss was already using his phone. Emma heard sentences as '_embarazada_' and '_caído por las escaleras!_'

A second person came down the stairs, and when Emma turned her head, she was confronted with Marian. The other woman had gone quite pale. "_Yo ... yo no quise-_"

"_ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!_" Emma exploded, jumping to her feet. "_DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE?!_"

"I did not push her," Marian said in accented but perfect English, and had the situation been any different, Emma could have been surprised.

But obviously, she was not surprised now. "_YOU SWUNG AT HER AND SHE EVADED_!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "_WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU STUPID-_" she sucked in a breath. "Maybe you didn't physically push her, but you are DEFEFINTELY the reason she fell down the stairs! You might just as well have pushed her!"

Marian's eyes flickered towards the door, but before she could do as much as take one step towards it, Emma was in her face. "Oh, no you don't!" she hissed. "Don't you DARE as much as THINK about running off! You assaulted a pregnant woman! You're not going anywhere!" Emma lifted her hand, ready to slap Marian across the face, but before she could, Regina's boss put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. He glared at Marian. "_¡Te quedarás aquí hasta que llegue la policía!_" he snarled, and as on cue, two very large men came over and stood on either side of Marian. Emma still wanted to kill Marian, but she'd rather see her being taken away by the police.

"Urrgh," Regina suddenly moaned from the floor.

Emma was back on the floor in a heartbeat. "Sweetheart?"

"Ow!" Regina whimpered. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Where does it hurt?" Emma asked and had to take large gulps of air to keep the bile down.

"Ankle," Regina groaned. "Head! Ow! And my... my side!" the words sounded slurred and almost incoherent. And not in a 'mixture of Spanish and English'-way, but in a way that was positively scary. Regina moaned something again and tried lifting her head from the floor.

"No, no, no, no! Stay down, honey, you have to stay down!" Emma said quickly, putting a hand on Regina's shoulder again. "You hit your head!"

"My ankle hurts!" Regina yelped. "It hurts, Emma!"

"I know, I know, the ambulance will be here in a moment," Emma promised. "Just stay down, okay?"

"I don't think I can even walk," Regina moaned.

Emma rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "Baby, does your stomach hurt?" she asked softly. She had to. She had to know how serious this was. She had to know how many injured people she was dealing with.

"No, but..." Regina whimpered again and was clearly struggling to string the words together: "b-bleeding."

"W-what?" Emma felt more bile rise in her throat. _Oh, fuck no!_

"Am I... bleeding?" Regina panted, voice rising in volume, but word still slightly incoherent. "Emma, am I bleeding?! Am I?!"

"I don't know," Emma said ragged and may have squeezed Regina's shoulder a little too tightly. "I can't see any blood." There was no visible blood stains on Regina's jeans.

"But that doesn't mean that I am not NOT bleeding," Regina said wetly, and her shoulders shook as she began sobbing. "I'm going to lose the baby, Emma!"

"You're not going to loose ANYTHING," Emma said through gritted teeth although she had no right to make such a promise to Regina. "Just breathe as slowly as you can, okay? And stay awake, sweetheart. You need to stay awake until the ambulance gets here!"

"What if he's not there anyone?!" Regina yelped. "What if he's hurt or... d-d-d-dying?!" her hand scrabbled, palmed her belly and then slid lower. It took Emma a second to realize that Regina was in fact trying to feel if she was bleeding or not.

"It'll be okay," Emma promised and took Regina's hand in her own. If Regina truly WAS bleeding, Emma did not want her to feel it and get even more scared than she already was. She glared furiously at Marian who was still standing trapped between the two large men. Her face was almost deathly pale, but Emma felt absolutely no pity for her whatsoever. And she could not stop herself from yelling at her: "you made a pregnant woman fall down a flight of stairs!" she hissed. "How the FUCK do you even live with yourself?! You and your insane husband fucking deserve each other! Do you know he was in the bar a few months ago? Do you know he threatened Regina?! Do you know he probably would have done something to her physically if I had not been there? Has he told you how he tricked her into bed with him?! How he didn't even tell her that he was married?! How he neglected to wear a condom just because he 'assumed' she was on the pill?! Do you even know who the fuck you're married to?!"

Marian's mouth hung open. The answer was clearly no. She did not have the faintest idea who she was married to.

Emma was done with her. So FUCKING done. "Where the FUCK is that FUCKING ambulance?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs upon realizing that Regina's hand in her own had become limp. She had fainted again. "Regina?" Emma called and rubbed Regina's shoulder. "Regina, please wake up, come on! Where is that goddamn ambulance?!"

The door to the bar was flung open and two ambulance paramedics came rushing in with a spine board stretcher. Emma was ushered out of the way while they quickly assessed Regina's condition, listened to what her boss told them. He had seen the whole thing happen from his spot behind the bar. While the two paramedics listened to his explanation, they carefully tried to make Regina wake up once more. They succeeded, but Regina's voice was all slurred as she tried to answer their questions. She could not tell them where she was. She could not even tell them her name. It was up to Emma to do that. She also explained what had happened with the help from Regina's boss. Emma felt like a broken record when she over and over again told the paramedics that Regina was pregnant. But they just nodded, lifted Regina up on the spine board stretcher, and Emma's heart broke when she heard Regina cry out in pain. She desperately wanted to kiss her girlfriend's forehead, assure her that everything was going to be okay, but she was once again ushered out of the way while one of the two paramedics found a neck collar for Regina. Emma was so afraid her heart nearly stopped. What if Regina had injured her back in the fall? Her neck? What if this was exactly as bad as it looked?

While the two paramedics laid a temporary bandage over the wound on Regina's forehead, Emma took the opportunity to walk over to Marian. She did not stop until they were nose to nose. Almost. Emma was a few inches taller than the other woman. "You listen to me, and you listen to me good!" she snarled. "If anything, and I mean ANYTHING happens to Regina because of this- and I don't care whether it's going to be scraped a knee or something worse- I will make sure to call the police every single day to make sure you get the punishment you deserve! And-" she lowered her voice an octave. "If she looses this baby because of what you did to her, I won't fucking wait for the police to take action. I will hunt you down myself and kill you with my bare hands. Yeah. That was a threat."

Marian said absolutely nothing.

But somebody else did. "Emma?" Regina whimpered. "Where are you?"

Emma immediately turned around and found Regina fumbling blindly from the stretcher. "I'm right here, baby," she said, quickly taking Regina's searching hand and squeezing it. "Right here."

"I don't feel so good," Regina moaned. "It hurts!"

"I know, but we're going to the hospital right now so you can get better!"

Tears gathered at the corners of Regina's eyes. "I don't want to not be p-pregnant anymore!" she cried. "I want to stay pregnant!"

"You will!" Emma rushed to assure. "Nothing bad is going to happen to the baby, Regina, I promise!" again, she was nowhere near close to being in a position to make such promises, but she could not bear the thought of anything else. If Regina miscarried because of this... No. Emma refused to as much as think about it!

"_¡Vámonos!_" one of the paramedics said sharply.

Emma had to run in order to be able to cling onto Regina's hand as the two paramedics swiftly carried the spine board out of the bar. As they made it outside, Emma saw the glaring lights from a police car rounding the corner and parking by the bar. Two uniformed officers jumped out of the car and rushed towards the bar.

"_Ella está dentro del bar_," one of the paramedics said to the officers and nodded towards the bar.

The officers took one look at the injured Regina on the spine board and then stomped inside the bar. Emma turned her head just in time to see them walk over to Marian. Emma wished she could have been there to tell the police exactly what Marian had done, but of course Regina was her first priority. She stumbled after the paramedics, still clinging onto Regina's petite hand as though it was a life line.

Inside the ambulance, Regina was given oxygen. Emma wasn't completely sure why, but she still applauded it. The shock had mostly likely knocked the air out of Regina. They took her blood pressure and pulse which naturally was elevated. They stuck needles in her arms. Regina didn't make a sound as they did so.

"_¿Señorita Mills?_" the youngest paramedics said kindly. "_¿Tiene calambres?_"

"_N-no_," Regina whispered. "_¡Es mi tobillo!_"

Emma had ridden in an ambulance before. She had never experienced the speed and the wailing siren. She literally had to cling onto her seat because of the high speed they were driving in. One of the paramedics were sitting with Regina and talking and talking and talking to her. Trying to keep her awake. Regina kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Suddenly, her eyes would roll back, and she would be out cold again. And when she was conscious, her answers were slurred and choked up and her eyes were wide and scared as she stared blankly at the ceiling. She could not move her head because of the neck collar. Her bottom lip was trembling, and tears were trickling down her cheeks. Her hand felt limp and was trembling too in Emma's grasp.

"_Cuantas semanas de embarazo tienes?_" the youngest paramedic softly asked Regina.

"_Veintiuna semanas_," Regina whispered and switched to English: "I'm t-twenty one weeks pregnant."

The paramedic nodded and said something to his colleague. Emma had to grip tighter onto the seat as the ambulance sped up once again.

"I... I can't feel him," Regina whimpered, and her fingers squeezed around Emma's. "I can't feel him, Emma! Oh god..." she started crying again. "My head hurts so much!"

"We're almost at the hospital, baby," Emma said, squeezing Regina's hand. "We're almost there, just hold on, okay?"

"Tell that to him!" Regina yelped. "He's the one who needs to hold on, not me! This is my fault!"

"No, it's not!" Emma said firmly. "It is NOT your fault, Regina! This is all Marian's-"

"_Yo era la que quería renunciar a él_," Regina whimpered, and her hand trembled in Emma's grasp. "My ankle hurts so much!"

"I know, I know, we're almost there," Emma assured and felt like a fucking broken record. But she could not say anything else. She had already made far too many false promises tonight. She was not a doctor. She was in no position to tell Regina that everything would be just fine when she literally had no idea whether that was the case or not. She could only hope. And pray to whatever god out there that fate would not be this fucking cruel!

"_Quédate conmigo_, _Quédate conmigo,_" Regina whispered. Her eyes were a bit unfocused.

Emma was so worried she could have vomited on the spot. Regina was in obvious distress. She kept clinging onto Emma with her right hand while slowly lifting her left one and placing it on her belly.

"Does it hurt?" Emma asked immediately, voice a bit too high pitched from concern. "Are you having any cramps? Is there any part of your stomach that hurts?" again, it was not her place to ask such questions, but she could not keep them from spilling from her lips in an unruly pile.

"No," Regina croaked and blinked. More tears spilled from her eyes. She could not turn her head because of the neck collar. Only stare at the ceiling. "But my ankle is k-killing me!" she licked her bottom lip which seemed to be swelling up. Had she ended up biting her lip as she fell? Ice cold rage aimed at Marian was swirling in Emma's chest. She looked at the paramedic sitting next to them and ordered: "hurry!" in a rough, demanding voice she could barely recognize.

"_Respire, señorita Mills. __Estamos casi alli_," the paramedic by their side said professionally and softly. "_Respiraciones profundas_."

Regina answered by taking trembling, deep breaths. "I'm scared. I feel dizzy," she murmured. "I can't move my ankle."

"You don't have to move anything, sweetie, just breathe. In and out. Nice and easy," Emma soothed and forced herself not to yell in agony. It very much sounded like Regina had broken her ankle. Once again, Emma was so angry she wanted to find Marian and kill her.

Regina didn't answer. She had fainted again, and the paramedic sitting next to her was immediately patting her shoulder and using a very professional, soft voice as he said: "¿_Señorita Mills? Ven ahora, hora de despertar. Venga._"

"Mmmm," Regina groaned as she woke up once more. "W-where am I? What h-happened? Emma?"

"I'm here," Emma soothed and squeezed Regina's hand. "I'm here, sweetheart. You're in the ambulance. You had a bit of a fall."

Tears gathered in Regina's eyes. "What about the baby? Is the baby okay? Where are we going? I'm scared!"

"I'm here," Emma said and hoped that would soothe Regina. "I'm right here, honey. It's going to be okay. Just breathe, okay?"

"But is the baby okay?" Regina moaned. "My head hurts. W-where are we going?"

The ambulance turned a corner, and Emma gripped her seat so tightly her knuckles turned white...

As soon as the ambulance pulled up in front of the hospital, Regina was wheeled out on the spine-board. Emma had to run to keep up with the two paramedics, and she was still clinging onto Regina's hand for dear life.

Inside the hospital, they were met by a doctor and two nurses. The two paramedics were talking very fast and making it impossible for Emma to understand a word of what was being said. But the doctor and two nurses nodded to each word, and then Emma had to run again in order to keep up as Regina was rolled down a long, white hallway.

"_¡Llevémosla a la habitación dos!_" the doctor said, and her voice radiated professionalism.

Regina whimpered a little and attempted to tug at the collar around her neck.

"Don't touch that, sweetie," Emma said quickly. They could not be certain if Regina had injured her neck in the fall.

"_No se preocupe, señorita Mills. __Todo va a estar bien_," one of the nurses soothed and put a hand on Regina's shoulder. "_Nosotras nos encargaremos de ti_."

In response to that, Regina squeezed Emma's hand tighter. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know," Emma murmured and bent down to press a quick kiss to Regina's forehead.

"_Señorita, tenemos que examinar a la señorita Mills_," the nurse said kindly to Emma.

But Emma's ability to understand even a word of Spanish was rapidly failing her because of the shock. "¿_Inglesa_?" she asked helplessly.

And to her relief, the nurse nodded. "_Sí_. You have to let go of miss Mills now. We need to examine her."

"Can't I go with her?" Emma asked immediately. "I don't want to leave her!"

"I promise you, she's in good hands, _señorita_. And as soon as we're through with the examinations, we will come and get you," the nurse promised.

Although her instincts screamed that this was the one thing to do, Emma knew that the nurse was right. She had to give the professionals the space to work and make Regina feel better. She brought Regina's hand up to her lips and kissed it gently. "I love you. I'll be right out here the whole time."

"Please don't leave," Regina whimpered.

"I'll be right out here," Emma repeated and felt her heart breaking when she had to let go of Regina's hand.

Regina scrabbled blindly after her hand. "No... please..."

"It'll be okay, sweetheart," Emma promised and bit the inside of her cheek harshly not to cry when she saw the nurses and doctor wheel Regina's stretcher into a room where she could not follow. Where she wasn't ALLOWED to follow.

Emma was alone in the hallway now. She could see a room full of different chairs. A waiting room. Was she seriously supposed to just sit down and WAIT?! She couldn't do that. She had to move or something. Feel like she was being useful. Emma fisted her hair as she began pacing back and forward in the hallway. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Her breath came out as little puffs of air. Regina had been so pale. Her eyes had been so wide. Her breathing so labored. The gash on her forehead. Her slurred words and unfocused eyes. Her ankle which she couldn't move. The collar around her neck. What if Regina had seriously injured herself when she fell? What if there was something wrong with her neck? Or back? What if she wouldn't be able to walk again because of this?

And what about the tiny little life Regina was carrying inside of her? The growing baby in her belly. Little Blueberry. What if he would not make it? What if Regina lost the baby because of this? Emma's gut twisted and she shielded her eyes with her hands. No. No, no, no! That couldn't happen. It just couldn't. Fate could not be that cruel.

Emma moved her hands away from her eyes and looked towards the door Regina's stretcher had been wheeled through. Not knowing what was going on was killing her! Why couldn't she just have gone with Regina? She could have stayed in the corner without making a sound. That would have been fine. As long as she could be with Regina. She had begged Emma not to leave her. She had been so scared...

Emma sniffled and cupped a hand over her mouth. It was aggravating, feeling this useless. She couldn't hold Regina's hand and assure her that everything was going to be fine. Because she wasn't allowed to be in the room while the doctor examined her. Of course she trusted the doctor and nurses. She fully believed that they would do whatever it took to help Regina and the baby, but still... Emma had no idea what was going on behind the door. What if the doctor was telling Regina that the baby had not made it? God...

Emma's breath became ragged and the room started to blur slightly. She needed to sit down. On shaky legs she stumbled into the waiting room and threw herself onto the nearest chair. Her heart was pumping rapidly in her chest. _Thump-thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!_ It felt like an invisible fist was squeezing the organ. Perhaps that same fist would tear it out of her chest in a moment. It certainly felt like it. Emma felt completely lightheaded and she quickly put her head between her knees. Took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. She was NOT going to faint. She was NOT the person who needed medical attention. Regina was. She needed all the medical attention she could possibly get. Send in all the experts. Every last doctor and nurse this hospital had to offer. Emma wished that they would hurry. She desperately needed to know if Regina was okay.

And someone else did too. Regina's father. Of course.

Emma lifted her head so quickly she became dizzy all over again. But this time she was perfectly capable of ignoring it. This was something she actually DO. Call Regina's father and tell him what had happened. Her fingers trembled as she found her phone in her jacket pocket. It took her three attempts before she successfully had unlocked her phone and clicked on her contacts. Scrolled down. She had Henry's number amongst her contacts. 'Just in case', the elderly man had joked many months ago. Then he had chuckled that he wanted to be able to get in touch with his daughter-in-law. Emma had never called him before. Until now. She pressed 'call' and brought the phone up to her ear. Waited. Hoped that Henry was still up even though it was getting a bit late.

"_¿Hola? Emma?_" came Henry's voice in the other end. He sounded confused and a bit tired.

"Henry, hi," Emma croaked. "I'm sorry for calling you like this, but something's happened."

"What are you talking about, Emma?" Henry asked, now sounding more alert. "Is Regina okay?"

"I don't know," Emma whispered. "Henry, she... she fell down a flight of stairs- or someone MADE her fall down the stairs, and-"

"_¡¿Qué estas diciendo?! ¿Está ilesa? __¡¿Que pasó?!_"

"We're at the hospital," Emma said quickly, easily getting the jests of what Henry was saying. "_Hospital Universitario de La Princesa_. A doctor is examining her right now, but I don't know... I think something might be wrong with her ankle... She hit her head too I think..."

"And... _El bebe_?"

Emma choked down some bile. "I don't know," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. "I just... I don't know what's going to happen."

"I'm on my way," Henry said shortly. "Call me again if you hear anything from the doctor."

"I will," Emma promised. "Drive safely."

"_Sí_. I will see you soon."

And with that, Henry ended the call and Emma felt alone once again. Alone and lost and scared. She shifted uneasily in the chair. Henry was on his way. That was at least a little soothing. He would get here as soon as he possibly could. Regina would appreciate that. Or maybe she wouldn't. She hated making her dad worried. But this was one of those rare occasions where Regina's father was allowed to worry as much as he possibly could. Today, everyone could and should worry about Regina. And Blueberry.

Emma tried to close her eyes, but as soon as she did so, she saw Regina tumble down the stairs all over again. She heard her gasp in surprise and terror and then fall down the stairs. Arms and legs flailing desperately in the air. And that awful thud when she landed on the floor like a ragdoll. And then folded up in a fetal like position. She had tried to protect the baby, Emma did not doubt that for a second. Her breath hitched again. Regina was so tiny. There was nothing to protect her bones. And now she was also all belly. There was nothing to protect that either. How had she landed? Emma had not seen that. She had been too busy running down the stairs. If Regina had landed on her stomach... Emma felt nauseous all over again. Or on her back... God! Emma desperately clung to the hope that Regina had landed on her side and not on her stomach or back. If she had landed on her side, perhaps there was a teeny tiny chance that the baby was okay. _Please, please, please_, _let the baby be okay! Don't let her loose the baby! _Emma pressed a fist harshly against her mouth to prevent the sobs from coming out. She needed to talk to someone. She needed to feel less alone. And there was only one person she could think of at this very moment. Her mother. Of course. With trembling fingers, she found her phone again. Her fingers slipped as pressed speed-dial, and she was barely capable of bringing the phone up to her ear without dropping it. The sound of her rapid heartbeat filled her ear while she waited for her mom to pick up. She desperately hoped that her mom was near her phone. It had never been more important to talk to her than it was right now.

"Oh hi, Emma, sweetie! How is Spain?"

The dam broke as soon as Emma heard her mom's chipper voice. She started crying and babbling. "Mom, Regina was pushed down a flight of stairs! Marian showed up at her work, the three of us argued, Marian lunged at Regina, she evaded and then she tripped and fell down the stairs! It was Marians fault, all of it! Regina fainted but then she woke up again and her ankle really hurt, her boss called an ambulance, and she was so scared when we drove to the hospital, she kept fainting and crying, and I think she might have a concussion, and there is definitely something wrong with her ankle too, because she couldn't move it, and I don't know if she's okay, the doctor took her to a room and I wasn't allowed to be there while they examine her, and I don't know what's going to happen to the baby either! I'm so scared she's going to miscarriage! And the way she kept fainting and slurring her words whilst crying about loosing the baby! I feel like I can't do anything, I feel like I'm completely helpless while she's all alone, and-"

"Emma, _Emma!_" her mom sharply interrupted. "Slow down. Breathe!"

Emma took a shuddering breath, realizing that she had feeling a little faint again.

"That's it," her mom gently soothed in the other end. "In through your nose and out through your mouth. Nice and easy."

Emma followed her mom's command, and it didn't take long before she started to feel better and less lightheaded.

"Now start from the beginning please," Mary Margaret said, and Emma heard the concern in her voice. "Slowly. I only heard something about Regina and the hospital. What's happened, sweetie?"

"Marian showed up at Regina's work tonight," Emma said slowly and tried to keep her voice and tears under control. "She found out that Regina is pregnant, and she followed Regina and me to the upstairs room where the employees keep their clothes. An argument started. Marian was yelling, and I was yelling. Regina and I tried to leave, but suddenly Marian lunged at Regina. Regina evaded, tripped and fell down the flight of s-stairs!" Emma's voice broke. "Maybe Marian didn't push her directly, but she was still the reason Regina fell! I couldn't catch her before it was too late, mom! By the time I got to the top of the stairs she had already laying on the f-floor all f-folded up!"

"Oh, god!" her mom said in the other end, voice tight with concern. "Oh, sweetie!"

"When I got to her, she was out c-cold," Emma continued. Her voice was completely thick and the words a bit slurred. "But then she woke up and was very confused. I think she hit her head! I didn't s-see the actual fall, but lots of other people in the bar did, and I think five or six or them called for an ambulance. And Regina's boss called the police. Marian was still there. She actually tried to explain it away! She said that the fucking nerve to say that it had been an _accident_!" Emma's voice rose in volume. "What the FUCK had she expected?! Regina was standing on the top of the stairs when it happened! Marian has been pregnant too! She knows what it does to your center of gravity! She fucking KNEW that there was a risk that Regina would fall down the stairs!" Emma drew in a sharp breath and used the back of her hand to wipe over her eyes. "Anyway, the ambulance arrived, and two paramedics came in with a stretcher and a neck collar and asked a bunch of questions the other people in the bar had to answer because I couldn't. They got Regina on the stretcher- she had fainted again at this point, and then we got in the ambulance. Regina kept fainting and waking up over and over again! It was so scary, mom! And she was... she was crying about the baby and said that she couldn't feel him kick or anything! What if she looses him? What if she actually miscarriages because of this?! It'll kill her! The doctor and nurses took her away as soon as we got to the hospital, and they won't let me be with her! I have no idea what's going on in there!"

"Oh god, Emma," Mary Margaret said gently. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry I can't be with you right now!"

"I've called Regina's dad. He's on his way," Emma said thickly.

"That's good. I'll stay on the line with you until he gets there, okay?"

"Okay," Emma sniffled and rubbed a hand over her eyes again. "What if she l-looses the baby, mom? This is what happens in every dramatic movie ever. A pregnant woman falls down the stairs and m-miscarries! What if it happens to Regina?! Oh god... She kept asking if she was b-bleeding while we drove to the hospital..."

"The doctor is doing everything in their power to help both Regina and the baby, sweetie," Mary Margaret said firmly.

"Yeah, but what if it won't be enough? I should have reacted quicker! I should have kicked Marian to the floor before she got the chance to lunge at Regina, I should have-"

"No!" Mary Margaret interrupted. "This is NOT your fault, Emma. I know that, Regina knows that, and deep down, so do you. The only person to blame for this, is Marian!"

"Yeah well, the police arrived just as the ambulance was leaving," Emma croaked. "I don't know what's going to happen to her, but I hope she'll get charged for assault!"

"The police doesn't take kindly to anyone assaulting a pregnant woman," her mother growled. "That applies to _every_ country!"

Emma heard some shuffling in the background, and then her dad's voice: "honey? What's going on?"

"It's Regina," Mary Margaret said, voice a bit muffled because she was not speaking into the microphone anymore. "She's been pushed down a flight of stairs by Marian. Emma is currently in the hospital and waiting to hear how she's doing."

David released a string of curse words Emma had sworn he was too proper to ever use. And for once, Mary Margaret did not comment on the foul language. She simply said: "yes. My thoughts exactly, honey."

"Emma, are you alright?" David's voice came through the phone. "Do you need us to come to Spain? All you need is to say the word and we'll book a plane ticket!"

"No, Regina's father is on his way," Emma said hoarsely. "He'll be here soon. Can't you just... talk to me about something else? Anything. I really need to be distracted."

And so Emma's mom and dad did just that. Talked and talked about everything and nothing in order to distract their daughter. Once or twice they managed to make Emma laugh. But only until she remembered what was going on, and her stomach clenched in fear because it had been far too long since the doctor and nurses rolled Regina into that room. Why couldn't Emma just be with her? She just wanted to hold her hand and comfort her!

Mary Margaret were the ones to console Emma as best as they could. Once again, they offered to come to Spain, but Emma gently rejected that offer. She didn't want to overwhelm Regina with her parents arriving in Spain in case... In case everything wasn't okay. God, what if something was really wrong?! With Regina or the baby. The two most precious lives in the world...

A door was flung open somewhere, and Emma jumped a little in surprise. She made a quick excuse to her parents and then peered into the long hallway. An elderly man in blue velvet pants, what appeared to be a pajama jacket and no coat came barreling down the hallway as quickly as his legs could carry him. He spoke loudly to the receptionist and flailed his arms when she took too long to react to his request.

"Regina's dad is here," Emma told her parents. "I better go and talk to him."

"Okay, honey," Mary Margaret said gently. "Give him our love. And call us as soon as you know how Regina and the baby is doing!"

"I will. I promise," Emma said, tears filling her eyes at the word 'baby'. "Love you guys."

"We love you too, kiddo," David said. "Hang in there."

"I'll try. Bye." Emma concluded the phone call and slipped her phone back inside her pocket. Then she unfolded her stiff legs and staggered into the hallway.

"Emma!" Henry said as soon as he spotted her. He panted as he rushed towards her, and in a manner of seconds, Emma was being engulfed in a hug.

"I couldn't do anything, Henry," Emma said, nearly choking on the words. "One minute she was standing there, and the next she fell! I couldn't get to her before it was too late, and I'm so-"

"Dear Emma," Henry interrupted and held her just a little bit closer. "This is not your fault."

"She was so scared-" Emma's voice failed her and she bit the inside of her cheek roughly not to start weeping.

"Then it was lucky she had her greatest source of comfort nearby," Henry smiled softly as he released her. "I'm so glad you were with her." he leaned in and gave Emma the traditional two kisses on each cheek.

"They won't let me see her," Emma said helplessly. "They wouldn't let me go with her. They said they would come out and tell me as soon as they had examined her, but it's been forever already! Does that mean that something is really wrong?!"

"I'm sure it doesn't," Henry said. "They're just being throughout."

"I'm sorry," Emma winced. "I shouldn't say that kind of stuff to you. You're her father."

"_Sí_. And you love her too," Henry said simply. "Of course you're worried."

That Emma was. So worried she could have keeled over on the spot.

Henry led her back to the waiting room where they sat down in two of the plushy chairs. Emma bounced her leg up and down until she realized how annoying it probably was. She had trouble with keeping still. Felt like she had to move or something. She tried reading one of the many magazines laying on display in the waiting room, but they were all in Spanish, and even if some of them had been in English, Emma doubted that she would have been able to concentrate on reading. She shifted uneasily in the chair. Craned her neck to look back towards the door. Strained her ears in an attempt to hear something, but she couldn't. That had to be one very thick door.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Henry asked and broke the tense silence.

"No thank you," Emma said. She had a feeling that she could drink anything. "But I will be happy to find you something to drink."

"No thank you," Henry said. After a moment he chuckled as he looked down at himself. "_Oh dios_. Regina will think that I am a madman when I show up like this."

Emma chuckled softly. "At least you're not wearing slippers. That is something."

Henry laughed with her. "_Sí_, that is something."

"She'll probably be properly pissed at me for calling you," Emma muttered and only thought about censuring her language after the words were out of her mouth. She cringed slightly.

"Well, that is... what is it she always say?" a smile tugged at the corners of Henry's mouth. "Ah yes. 'Too bad'. That is just 'too bad'."

Emma grinned again. Henry was right. Regina did say that a lot. Only difference being that she often added a 'fucking' to the sentence. 'Too fucking bad'.

"Has she ever told you about that time when she was seven and fell down from a tree?" Henry asked.

"No, she hasn't," Emma replied and raised an eyebrow. She was curious now.

"She had heard a cat crying in the tree," Henry recalled, smile tugging at his lips again. "She thought that it couldn't get down on its own, so she decided to climb up and save it."

"Of course she did," Emma smiled. That was just the kind of thing the ever kind hearted Regina would do.

"Of course the cat easily could come down on its own," Henry continued with sparkling eyes. "But she could not. I imagine that she was trying, but then she fell instead. I rushed out there and found her on the ground. She wasn't crying. She just said that she had wanted to help the kitty-cat..."

Emma chuckled softly once more.

"She ended up spraining her ankle," Henry concluded his story. "Her mother and I took her to the hospital, and Regina acted like a little champion the entire time. And as soon as her foot was healed, she was back to climbing trees."

"I bet she was," Emma said softly.

"She will be fine," Henry said firmly. "I know she will."

Before Emma could answer, the door to the waiting room opened, and the nurse she had met earlier, stepped in. "Relatives of Regina Mills?" she asked.

"I'm her father!"

"I'm her girlfriend!"

Emma and Henry exchanged an amused glance before growing serious again. "How is she doing?" Emma asked quickly. She couldn't hold the question back. Not even when Regina's father perhaps was the one who should be asking it and not her.

"_Señorita _Mills has a grade three concussion and a fractured ankle," the nurse said.

Emma's hands curled into fists and she was already halfway up from the chair. A grade three concussion and a broken ankle. There was that intense urge to find Marian and murder her with her bare hands.

"But there are so injures to her spine or neck," the nurse continued. "She's tired, bruised and sore, but overall, she's been lucky. Very lucky It was quite a tumble she took."

"_¿Y el bebé?_" Henry asked, but then remembered that Emma was present and quickly translated: "and the baby? What about the baby?"

Emma's heart thumped in her chest. She felt positively sick. _God please, please, please, let the baby be okay!_

The nurse smiled. "The baby is doing just fine. We just checked the heartbeat, and it's good and strong still. _Señorita _Mills is not experiencing any cramps, and she is not bleeding either. Of course we are keeping her in for observation to be certain that she is well, but there is nothing suggesting any risks of a miscarriage."

"Thank god!" Emma was so grateful she could have fallen to her knees. Now she settled for falling into the chair. The baby was okay. And so was Regina. Ish, anyway. And right now, ish was better than nothing at all. Regina was still pregnant. Exactly like she had begged to be in the ambulance. The baby had a good, strong heartbeat. Emma had never heard more beautiful words than that. Henry put a hand on her arm and squeezed it slightly.

"The baby is a resilient little one," the nurse said, smiling once more. "And so is _Señorita _Mills. Very resilient."

"Indeed she is," Henry said, rising from his chair. "May we see her?"

Oh god yes! Yes, Emma wanted to see her. More than anything, she wanted to see Regina! Take her in her arms and keep her there so she could never ever get hurt again. If Emma could, she would have taken Regina way right here, right now. Kidnapped her and brought her to some safe destination. Far, far away from Marian and Robin and everyone else that had ever bothered her. Seriously, from now, Emma would only be one step away from Regina! She was much too afraid to ever leaving her alone again.

"_Sí_, but only for a moment. She needs her rest."

Emma sort of stopped paying attention after '_sí_'. Now she was finally allowed to see Regina! Finally allowed to hug and kiss her and tell her how worried she had been about her.

Together, Emma and Henry followed the nurse. Henry in pajama shirt and with hair ruffled from sleep, and Emma with drying mascara stuck to the skin under her eyes. They made quite the pair, the two of them.

"Only a moment," the nurse reminded them as she gently opened the door to the room Regina had been taken to.

Emma neglected to react to the reminder. Her attention was solely on the enormous white bed in the equally white room. Regina was laying in the bed and looked teeny tiny. Her dark hair was spread out on the pillow. She was wearing a bandage around her head, and her right ankle had been propped up pillows and was now incased in a cast. Her belly was protruding through the white blanket that had been put over her, and Emma could see the top of a white hospital paper gown. Regina was blinking at the ceiling as though she was a bit confused about everything, and she was rubbing a spot on her neck where the neck-collar had been. Perhaps she was a bit tender there.

Emma quickly made her way over to the bed. She didn't register that the nurse left. She simply bowed her head and kissed Regina's forehead gently. Well, actually Regina's forehead through the bandage covering it, but nevertheless. "Hi, honey," she said softly.

"Hi. I think I fell," Regina said croakily.

"Yeah, you sure did," Emma softly agreed with her. She wanted to correct Regina and remind her that she had been FORCED to fall, but now didn't seem like the time. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure," Regina mumbled. "I'm a bit woozy. I think my head and ankle hurt. But I can't really feel it because they've given me some medicine."

"Ah." That explained the slightly dazed look in Regina's eyes. She had been given painkillers.

"They say that my ankle is broken," Regina continued. "Will you draw something on the cast?"

Emma chuckled softly. What a perfectly random request. Undoubtedly the drugs talking. "Of course I will. Absolutely."

Regina stuck out her bottom lip. "I don't even know how to use crutches. How am I supposed to hobble around in my apartment for six weeks?"

"I'll help you," Emma said immediately. "I'll stay in Spain and help you for as long as I possibly can."

"But you're going to New York," Regina mumbled.

Emma settled for a vague "uh-huh". She wasn't so sure she was going anywhere now.

"When Emma has to go come to Maine, I want you to move back in, _Cielo_, and I'm not so sure I'll take no for an answer," Henry said firmly.

Regina slowly turned her head and blinked. "Daddy? Why are you here?"

"I called him," Emma confessed.

Regina looked at her now. "You did?"

"Yeah, of course I did."

"You shouldn't have," Regina sighed. "I don't want anyone to worry, and- daddy, what are you wearing?"

Henry chuckled. "That would be my pajama shirt, _Cielo_. I was in a rush to get here."

Regina blinked again and made a face as she turned her head slowly. "My neck hurts from the collar. I think it was too tight." She reached for Emma's hand, and Emma quickly came to her aid and tangled their fingers together.

"They say that the baby is fine," she continued as she looked at Emma. Her big, brown eyes filled with tears. "B-but I still haven't felt him kick or anything..."

"Maybe he's sleeping right now, honey," Emma soothed.

"M-maybe," Regina hiccupped.

"Hey, no crying," Emma gently scolded. "That'll only make your head hurt."

"It already hurts," Regina sniffled. "I want to see him again. Can you find a nurse and tell her that?"

"I'll tell her, _Cielo_," Henry said, bowing his head and planting a kiss on Regina's bandaged forehead. "I will be right back." with that he disappeared through the door. Emma could hear him ask for a nurse.

Regina moaned a little.

"What can I do?" Emma asked, reaching for something she didn't quite know what was. "Where does it hurt?"

"I'm not sure. I can't really feel it," Regina mumbled. "But I don't think Marian likes me very much. She was there, wasn't she?"

"Yes. Yes, she was. She was the one who made you fall. Don't you remember that?"

Regina frowned for a second. "Not really. I don't remember much of the ride in the ambulance either. Everything's a bit fuzzy."

"Concussions does that to you, honey."

"I still feel sorry for her."

"For who?"

"Marian."

Emma gaped and forced herself to remember that Regina wasn't quite herself at the moment. "Sweetheart, she made you fall down the stairs. I promise you, she does NOT deserve your pity. At all."

"Or maybe she does," Regina croaked. "Imagine being so far out that you're willing to make a pregnant girl fall down a flight of stairs..."

"She's a nutcase!" Emma growled. "And I have every intention of telling the police that if they ask me!"

"The police? Was the police there?"

"Yeah. Your boss called them. He saw the whole thing." Emma lifted Regina's hand and kissed it.

"Oh. My cheek hurt. I think I landed on it. The doctor said I'll get a bruise tomorrow. I don't think that'll look pretty."

Emma had to chuckle about Regina's priorities. "You always look pretty no matter what, sweetheart."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise," Emma assured and kissed Regina's hand once more. "I'm so, so sorry Regina."

"About what?" Regina half-groaned. "It's not your fault. You didn't tell Marian to make me fall down the stairs. And you didn't tell Robin to hit on me that night in the bar..."

"No, but... I'm sorry I didn't c-catch you." The words caught in Emma's throat. "I s-should have! I should've-"

"_Querida_," Regina interrupted and wiggled her hand out of Emma's grasp so she could cup her cheek. "How could you possibly have known what Marian would do? I didn't see it coming, so how should you have been able to?"

"Stop being so reasonable when I'm trying to apologize."

Regina giggled weakly. "I'm not letting you apologize for something you are not responsible for. The responsibility is Marian's. And my rotten balance. I told you it was terrible." She giggled tiredly once more. "My head hurts. But they won't give me anymore pain killers because I'm pregnant..."

Before Emma could answer that, Henry came back with a new nurse in tow. She was rolling in a table with an all too familiar ultra sound machine on it. "_Hola, Señorita Mills_," she softly greeted. "_¿Cómo te sientes ahora?_"

In response, Regina lifted a hand and made a so-so motion. "_Un poco adolorida_."

"_Comprensible_," the nurse nodded. "_¿Le diremos hola al bebé?_"

"_Sí_," Regina said and mustered a tiny smile.

The nurse sat down at the bedside Emma was not occupying. Henry moved to stand behind the nurse so he could put his hand on Regina's shoulder. The nurse carefully moved the blanket out of the way so she could put the blue jelly on Regina's swelling abdomen. She switched on the screen and put the doppler on Regina's belly. "_Aquí vamos_," she smiled as she began moving the doppler over Regina's stomach.

Emma and Henry's eyes were glued to the screen, and Emma could not help but gasp when she saw the grainy image on the screen. Blueberry was not just a tiny little glob any longer. Emma could see his little face. Could see his arms and legs. That teeny tiny little nose. Little ears. He was laying all curled up like he was indeed taking a nap. _Thump-thump-thump_, his little heart echoed in the room, and Emma felt a warmth spread in her belly.

"Wow," she said simply.

"He looks like he's doing good," Regina murmured with a slight nod.

"Yeah. He does. He's so big now!"

"Mmmm." Regina's eyes filled with tears again as she looked at the screen. "But why can't I feel him?"

"He's sleeping, sweetheart," Emma said softly. "Look. He's all snuggled up and cozy in there."

Regina swallowed thickly. Blinked. Tears dripped onto her cheeks.

"Everything looks fine," the nurse said and turned her head to smile at Regina.

"Mmm...hmm."

Emma couldn't stop staring at the screen. And as she did, the baby suddenly lifted a little hand and moved it back and forward.

"Oh look!" the nurse exclaimed. "Little one is waving at his mom!"

Now it was Emma's turn to swallow something. Because it did indeed look like the baby was greeting them. Waving his little hand at them.

Regina's sniffled intensified. She lifted a hand and shielded her eyes, and Emma exchanged a concerned glance with Henry. This was not good. Regina was getting upset when she was supposed to take it easy.

"_Hemos terminado ahora. Gracias_," Henry said quickly to the nurse.

The nurse removed the doppler from Regina's belly, wiped the gel away and then left the room with the ultrasound machine. The door gently closed behind her, and Emma immediately bowed her head and kissed Regina's cheek. "Please don't cry, sweetheart," she said softly.

"Please don't get so upset, _Cielo_," Henry added as he took Regina's hand. "It is not good for you. You have to try and relax."

"I am not crying because I'm u-upset," Regina sniffled. "I'm crying because I'm happy!"

"Oh," Emma said, immediately relieved. Happy tears was good. Very, very good.

Regina bit her lip. "He's okay," she croaked. "He's still here."

"He never left," Emma murmured and kissed her forehead again.

Regina bit her lip again. Blinked rapidly. More tears splashed onto her cheeks. Her big, wide eyes were staring without actually seeing anything. Suddenly, she looked like she wasn't emotionally present. Like she had zoned out all the sudden.

"Sweetheart?" Emma asked nervously. She was afraid that this was an odd side effect from having an concussion. Could patients suddenly experience a 'blank' moment or something? She wasn't sure. And either way, it was creepy seeing Regina zone out like this.

"_Cielo_?" Henry asked softly and patted Regina's uninjured cheek. "_Qué estás pensando?_"

Regina did not respond to either of the requests. She just remained still while staring at the ceiling.

Emma exchanged a glance with Henry. He looked as concerned as Emma felt. Should they maybe send for the doctor? Was it normal for people with concussions to become this unresponsive? Emma did not like it at all. She put her hand on Regina's shoulder and hoped that would bring her back to reality.

And in a way, it did. "I don't want..." Regina did not finish the sentence. She just blinked again and made more tears spill onto her cheeks.

"What?" Emma asked confused.

Regina did not answer.

"Sweetheart? I didn't hear what you said," Emma said gently.

"I said, I don't want to find another family-" Regina cleared her throat and turned her head so she could look at her father and Emma.

Emma swallowed. "Regina, wha... what are you saying?"

"I don't want to give him up," Regina whispered, tears gathering in her eyes again.

"I..." Emma ran out of words and had to try again. Her throat felt tight and constricted and her voice was rough when she spoke again: "Regina, are you... Are you sure?"

"Yes," Regina whispered. "I'm sure. I know that I'm too young and that I don't have the financial aid to raise a baby and that my apartment probably will be a living nightmare to child proof, but the thought of giving him up... I thought that I was going to loose him tonight. A part of me is still afraid that's going to happen even though I just saw him on the screen. And if I'm scared of loosing him in one way... Then I'm scared of loosing him in every way. When I woke up at the bottom of the stairs, all I was thinking about was him. I was thinking 'please let him be okay so I can get the chance to meet him and hold him'. Where does that fit in with wanting to give him up?"

Emma said absolutely nothing, and Regina answered the question for her: "it doesn't. Tonight I didn't care what was going to happen to me. I was just worried about losing him. But how can I be afraid of losing him in one way and then at the same time be willing to give him up? It doesn't make sense. Because if I gave him up, I'd lose him. Not in the same way, but still permanently. He would be alive and well and growing up somewhere, but he wouldn't be mine anymore, and he is..." she interrupted herself and a choked little sob escaped her. "He IS mine!"

"_Cielo_," Henry said softly. He had not said anything during Regina's little speech, but his eyes had gone suspiciously misty, and now he was putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder and squeezing slightly. "_¡No puedo decirte lo feliz que me hace esto!_"

"Yes," Emma said simply, taking Regina's hand and squeezing it. "Yeah, he's yours. He has been all along, sweetheart."

Regina smiled up at her. Brown eyes gleaming with love and affection. "He's yours too, _querida_. If you want him, that is."

"If I want him?" Emma shook her head a little, laughed wetly. When had she even started crying? "Of course I want him! I want both of you so much I could die!" She crouched down and hugged Regina. She had been wanting and wishing for Blueberry for far longer than she had been willing to admit, she knew that now. She loved Regina's unborn baby with every last bone in her body. And now Regina was saying that he was Emma's too. Their baby.

Regina returned the hug, but after a moment she let out a little sound, and Emma immediately let go. "Oh god, I'm sorry! I completely forgot that your head-"

"No, it's not that," Regina interrupted. She lifted her head without wincing and looked at Emma. "He's kicking. The baby is kicking!"

Emma's face split into a grin. "Are you serious?!"

"_Sí_, I just felt it!" Regina said, laughing as she put a hand on her swelling belly. "Right here, just-" But then she grimaced slightly and palmed her bandaged forehead. "Owwww!"

"Lie down!" Emma said firmly. "No more hugging. Or laughing. You need to relax. You hit your head. And you're pregnant."

"So I am," Regina acknowledged and smiled up at Emma. "We're having a baby, _mi amor_."

"Yep, looks like it," Emma grinned. Happiness was bubbling in her chest. She couldn't believe it. Blueberry was going to be theirs! Their baby boy, their son...

"And I am going to be a grandfather," Henry laughed and bent down to kiss Regina's forehead. "My little girl is going to be a mother. And she will be a wonderful one!"

Emma could only agree with that.

"So you don't think I'm silly?" Regina asked her father.

"No, _Cielo. _Of course I don't. Perhaps this is not happening in the way you imagined that it would, but that does not matter. The circumstances does not matter. It's the outcome that matters. And the outcome of this is that you're going to have a baby." He beamed. "_¡Voy a ser abuelo!_"

"_Sí_," Regina chuckled. "_Vas a ser abuelo._"

"Speaking of family," Emma remembered. "I promised to call my mom and give her an update..."

Regina frowned a little. "You told your mom too?"

"Yep, sure did. And my dad," Emma revealed.

"_Dios mio. _Is there _anyone_ you didn't tell?"

Emma smiled. There was that sass she knew and loved.

"_Sí, Cielo_, there is one person that doesn't know what happened," Henry said carefully. "_Tu madre_..."

Regina's mouth immediately became a thin line, but before she got the chance to answer, the nurse came back and sternly ordered them to leave. The patient needed rest.

Emma winced. She did not like that at all.

"You can come back tomorrow morning," the nurse said firmly. "Visiting time is over."

"The key to my apartment is in my pocket," Regina said and gestured vaguely towards her denim jacket. "I wish I could come with you. But maybe I can come home tomorrow."

"Uh-huh," Emma said vaguely, knowing full well that there was no way in hell Regina would be released from hospital tomorrow already.

"You'll have to bring me some new shoes when you pick me up, though," Regina continued, sounding a bit dazed again. "They ruined one of my boots. They had to cut through it because of my ankle. Those were nice boots..."

Emma chuckled. That was definitely the concussion talking again. "Don't worry, Cinderella. I'll bring you some shoes when they release you."

"I want to go home," Regina mumbled. "I don't want to be here tonight!"

"I'll be back first thing tomorrow," Emma promised. "Seriously, I'll be the first thing you see when you open those pretty eyes. But now I want you to get a good nights sleep. Don't think about anything. Except me. And baby names."

"I can do that," Regina said meekly. "My head hurts again..."

"Because you're tired," Henry said firmly. "Sleep, _Cielo._ I will be back tomorrow too. With flowers. And chocolate."

"Lots of chocolate," Emma added with a grin.

"Mmm," Regina hummed. "That sounds good..." her eyelids slid closed.

"Night, night, sweetheart," Emma said softly and kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well."

Henry did the same. Said something in Spanish, and then he and Emma quietly left the hospital room. Left Regina to get some much needed sleep. She had started to sound a little dazed again. It was high time to get some rest.

Emma had a certain bounce in her step as she followed Henry down the hallway. Although tonight had been traumatic in every way possible, although Regina was in the hospital, injured with a concussion and a broken ankle, there was plenty of reasons to smile too. She and Regina were going to have a baby. Blueberry was theirs.

Emma was going to be a mom... Oh god... She couldn't wait to tell her own mom about it!

**To Be Continued...**

Spanish translations:

¡Una ambulancia! ¡Llama una ambulancia! ¡Necesitamos una ambulancia!= An ambulance! Call an ambulance! We need an ambulance!

Embarazada= Pregnant.

Caído por las escaleras!= Fallen down the stairs!

Yo ... yo no quise-= I... I didn't want to-

¡Te quedarás aquí hasta que llegue la policía!= You will stay here until the police arrive!

¡Vámonos!= Let's go!

Ella está dentro del bar= She's inside the bar.

¿Señorita Mills?= Miss Mills?

¿Tiene calambres?= Do you have cramps?

¡Es mi tobillo!= It's my ankle!

Cuantas semanas de embarazo tienes?= How many weeks pregnant are you?

Yo era la que quería renunciar a él= I was the one who wanted to give him up.

Quédate conmigo, Quédate conmigo= Stay with me, stay with me.

Respire, señorita Mills. Estamos casi alli= Breathe, Miss Mills. We are almost there.

Respiraciones profundas= Deep breaths.

¿Señorita Mills? Ven ahora, hora de despertar. Venga= Miss Mills? Come now, time to wake up. Come on.

¡Llevémosla a la habitación dos!= Let's get her to room two!

No se preocupe, señorita Mills. Todo va a estar bien= Don't worry, Miss Mills. Everything will be fine.

Nosotras nos encargaremos de ti= We will take care of you.

Señorita, tenemos que examinar a la señorita Mills= Miss, we have to examine Miss Mills.

¿Hola? Emma?= Hello? Emma?

¡¿Qué estas diciendo?! ¿Está ilesa? ¡¿Que pasó?!= What are you saying?! Is she unharmed? What happened?!

El bebe?= the baby?

Cielo= Sky.

Hola, Señorita Mills= Hello, miss Mills.

¿Cómo te sientes ahora?= How do you feel now?

Un poco adolorida= A bit sore.

Comprensible= Understandable.

¿Le diremos hola al bebé?= Shall we say hello to the baby?

Aquí vamos= Here we go.

Hemos terminado ahora. Gracias= We are done now. Thank you.

Qué estás pensando?= What are you thinking?

¡No puedo decirte lo feliz que me hace esto!= I can't tell you how happy this makes me!

¡Voy a ser abuelo!= I'm going to be a grandfather!

Tu madre= your mother..


	47. Chapter 47

The rush of adrenaline had fizzled out. Now that Emma knew that Regina was in good hands, she felt as tired as an eighty year old woman. Her legs felt heavy and her head full of fog as she trailed after Henry armed with the key to Regina's apartment. Henry had kindly offered her a ride back to Regina's apartment. Emma had tried to say that she could just as easily find a taxi, but Henry immediately brushed that aside. He would be taking her home and that was the end of THAT. Period.

They made it out on the parking lot in the balmy night air. It was dark now, but the parking lot was nicely lit up. Henry smiled at Emma as they walked over to his big Mercedes. He gallantly opened the door to the passenger seat and Emma smiled and thanked him as she got into the car. It smelled like leather and aftershave in here. Of money. It was strange. This car was the only sign that the pajama wearing, ruffled haired Henry Mills was a wealthy man. He was not even remotely snooty or haughty. Having money had not changed him like one could expect. He was simply a kind, gentle man who adored his daughter.

Henry sighed, and Emma turned her head. The elderly man was rubbing his temples in circular motions. "What a night," he murmured.

"Yeah, you got that right," Emma said with a dry chuckle. This had been a completely crazy night.

"I was so afraid that she was going to..." Henry didn't finish the sentence. He just rubbed a broad palm over his eyes.

"Me too," Emma whispered. "But she's okay, Henry. She's okay, and so is the baby."

"The baby," Henry repeated and flashed his dimples in a smile. "My little girl is having a baby. She's not so little anymore."

Emma chuckled. "Do daughters ever stop being their fathers little girl?"

"That is a good point," Henry agreed. "But still, she's not a child anymore. She's going to be a mother. That is a lot to take in." he chortled lightly. "But I know she will make a wonderful one. And so will you."

"Thanks, Henry. That really means a lot," Emma said softly. "I don't know much about babies, but I am going to try my best."

"You know how to love. That is the most important thing," Henry said simply. "You and Regina will help each other. And I will be doing everything in my power to help the both of you. This baby will never lack anything. I am going to be a grandfather!" The smile on his face made him seem years younger, and of course Emma could not help smiling too. Yes, Henry was going to be a grandfather. Emma was going to be a mom. That was both crazy and wonderful to think about.

"I'll have to call my parents and give them the news," Emma reminded herself. "They were worried."

Henry flashed his dimples again. "They are going to be grandparents too."

Oh. Emma had not thought of that, but Henry actually had a point. Emma's parents saw themselves as Regina's parents-in-law. And that indeed made them the grandparents of the baby. Wow. Just... wow. Springing that on them would be interesting to say the least! Emma's mom would go ballistic in the best way possible, and Emma's dad would also be very happy about it. And then there was Ruby and Belle. They would undoubtedly have a reaction too. They would be happy. Surprised but happy. Emma was certain of that. And Ruby would most likely make some kind of joke about Emma finally growing up. Well. Emma had no choice but to grow up now. She was going to be a mom, after all. It was time to start acting mature and grown up and all that. Emma wasn't completely sure how she was going to manage that, but she would try her best. And it felt like she had already aged two hundred years since Regina tumbled down those stairs. God, the image of Regina falling would forever haunt Emma. But Regina was okay. She was a bit battered, but okay everything considered. And the baby was okay too. Thank god. Emma had been so afraid that Regina was gonna loose Blueberry. But she hadn't. Instead she had decided that she wanted the baby. Emma's heart fluttered in her chest when she thought about the grainy image on the screen. Blueberry's little hand waving at them. Greeting his mom exactly like the nurse had said. Did babies normally wave on the screen? Emma didn't know. And now she wanted the incident to be one that had happened to only her and Regina. It was their special moment with Blueberry.

Henry had started the car, and now they were driving away from the hospital. And as much as Emma disliked that they were leaving Regina on her own, she felt like she needed to clear her head, and the best way to do that was on her own. She needed to decompress a little. Maybe she would take a shower in Regina's tiny bathroom. Or maybe she would just go to bed and sleep until tomorrow morning.

A little sigh coming from Henry made Emma snap out of her musings. She turned her head and looked at Henry. "Is everything okay?" she asked. Maybe Henry was experiencing some kind of reaction to the shock.

"_Sí_, everything is fine," Henry nodded. "I am just..." another sigh.

"What?" Emma gently pressed. She could see that there was something on Henry's mind.

"I can't help but feel that Cora should know about this," Henry murmured. "At least about the accident. No matter how much she pretends not to be, she is Regina's mother, and nothing can change that. Thank god nothing terrible happened tonight, but what if that had been the case? Suppose everything had not worked out? Cora would have had to know." He squeezed the wheel until his knuckles turned white. "She cannot pretend that she does not have a daughter! It isn't right!"

"No, it isn't," Emma softly agreed with Regina's father. Regina was pretending that her mother's absence did not bother her at all, but she had still asked for Cora in her sleep. She needed her mother. As terrible as Cora was, Regina was suffering under her absence. Emma felt angry all over again. Cora was absent doing god knows what and where while Regina tumbled down flights of stairs and ended up with a broken ankle and a concussion. And had to fend for herself. If Henry hadn't been a solid presence in Regina's life, Regina would have been left on her own, and the thought of that infuriated Emma beyond words.

"I know that Regina would not like it, but I feel like Cora needs to be informed of this," Henry said, jaw tightening. "She's her mother, for crying out loud!"

"Yeah," Emma said softly. Even though she definitely didn't like Cora (oh no, not at all!) she felt like Henry had a point. As a mother, no matter how distant and coldhearted, wouldn't you be interested in knowing if your daughter had fallen down a flight of stairs and broken her ankle and gotten a concussion? And Regina missed Cora. Emma was certain of that. She could hear it in the way Regina had said '_madre_' in her sleep. She needed Cora in her life. And especially right now. A pregnancy should bring the pregnant daughter closer to her mother. It should make them bond. Not tear them apart.

"I want to reach out to Cora," Henry said. "I want her to know about this. But she does not return any of my phone calls."

"Any?" Emma repeated curiously. "So you've tried calling her before?"

"_Sí_," Henry confirmed. "Many, many times. Because I was furious at how she's been treating our daughter. I wanted her to make things right with Regina. I wanted her to start acting like her mother, but as I said, Cora has not reacted to any of my phone calls. I don't even know if she's in New York or still in Spain."

"Huh," Emma said. She too found this to be weird. It was almost like Cora had... run away. Disappeared in thin air. But why? A part of Emma had expected the older Mills woman to come thundering back into Regina's life like a tornado and cause trouble, but instead Cora had kept away entirely.

"Cora has always been a mystery to me," Henry said, reading Emma's mind completely. "Always with a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes..."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Emma interjected and gnashed her teeth.

Henry laughed shortly before continuing: "but it was more than that. Sometimes it was almost like she was... trapped. Or felt trapped. It felt like no matter what I did, or who I tried to be for her, it still wasn't enough. She was still missing something, and-" he interrupted himself and laughed again. "Listen to me going on and on. Do forgive me, Emma. I'm a silly old man."

"You're not," Emma said as she reached out and patted Henry's arm. "It's been an emotional night. Of course you're affected by that."

"_Sí_, I am."

"And as for Cora..." Emma continued, mind made up although Regina might get angry with her. "Let me call her. She doesn't know my number. I'll tell her what has happened."

"Would you? Are you certain? Regina may not like it. Maybe she'll even get angry when you tell her."

"Her anger is a cross I'm willing to bear," Emma half-chuckled. "I agree with you. Cora needs to know what's going on. Not because she deserves it, god no, but she needs to hear how close Regina was to getting seriously hurt tonight. It's time for her to wake up and figure out whether she wants to be in her daughters life or not. This is her last chance to decide that. And I am going to tell her that!" Emma was oh, so prepared to give Cora Mills an ultimatum! She clenched her fists tightly.

"Perhaps you will have better luck with getting a hold of her," Henry mused.

"Yeah. Maybe," Emma nodded. Maybe Regina would be pissed, but she had asked for Cora in her dreams. Her subconscience had revealed what she was yearning for the most. Her mother. Her mother's support. And if there was one teeny tiny possibility that Emma was able to verbally shake Cora Mills and make her realize that what she was doing was wrong, she was willing to let Regina be angry with her. Regina needed her mother now more than ever.

Henry turned left, and _Puerta Del Sol_ came into view. Emma could see the many buildings. Including the Victorian one where Regina's apartment was. Henry stopped the car right outside the street door and Emma thanked him. "You didn't have to drive me all the way home, though."

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do," Henry said firmly as he smiled at her. "I will make sure that Reggie's car is taken home. And then I will meet you out here tomorrow morning- shall we say eight o'clock or is that too early?- then we can drive back to the hospital together."

"Eight o'clock sounds perfect," Emma assured. "But you don't have to give me a ride, though. I can just-"

"Nonsense," Henry repeated, chortling to himself. "Of course I will give you a ride. There's no reason why you should go through the trouble with finding a bus." He glanced towards the street door and the darkness in the empty corridor. "Would you like me to walk up to Regina's apartment? It looks very dark in there."

Emma smiled beamingly at him. What a kind, caring, gentle father he was for Regina. So considerate. So protective. Regina was very lucky to have him in her life. "No thank you," Emma said, still smiling. "It's okay."

"_Lo siento_," Henry chuckled. "I know that I am an overprotective old fool. I'm sure Reggie thinks so too."

"No, she doesn't," Emma said firmly as she opened the car door. "Not at all. She appreciates everything you do for her."

"And I appreciate that she still wants to be seen with her old dad," Henry chortled.

"Between you and me," Emma said, lowering her voice conspiratorially as though someone was listening. "I don't think you ever have to worry about Regina not wanting to be seen with you."

Henry's dimples became visible yet again. "I'm glad she has you, Emma. However close she and I might be, I know there are things you cannot share with your father."

"Don't worry. I won't be going anywhere," Emma firmly assured. "She's stuck with me."

Henry laughed. "She will not be unhappy about that."

"Let's hope not. Goodnight, Henry."

"Goodnight, Emma. I hope you will be able to get some sleep despite everything. Just remember that Regina is in the best possibly hands tonight. The nurses and doctors are there to help her if she needs anything, and _el bebe_ is doing fine too."

Emma couldn't help it. Her lips instantly curled up in a smile when the baby was mentioned. "Yeah. I'll try my best to get some sleep," she promised. "I hope you'll do the same."

"Well, I am certainly dressed for it," Henry said jovially.

They both laughed. Emma got out of the car. Thanked Henry sincerely one more time. They each made promises to call each other should the hospital reach out to the other first. Henry then found his phone in his pocket and doubtfully asked Emma if she truly wanted to call Cora and tell her what had happened. Emma assured that she would. She would enjoy giving Cora a piece of her mind. Henry sent the number to Emma's cellphone. Emma thanked him and said that she would call Cora asap, and then Henry drove off in the night. Hopefully to stumble back in bed and get some more sleep.

Emma fished Regina's key out of her pocket and dragged herself over to the street door. She was so tired her bones felt like they were made of jelly. Now that the adrenaline rush was gone, there was nothing left except tiredness. Bone-crushing tiredness. And relief. Regina was okay. Ish. True, she had a broken ankle and a concussion, and while that obviously was bad, Emma knew that it could have been worse. Way worse. Regina could have injured her back or neck. She could have miscarried. Emma's heart started thumping uncomfortably in her chest, and she swiftly pushed that thought aside. Regina was fine. Just fine. She was safe and warm and snuggled up in a hospital bed, dreaming the best dreams possible. She was in the best hands, as Henry had put it. And so was the baby. There was nothing to worry about.

Emma unlocked the street door and slipped through it. It clicked shut behind her like it was supposed to do, and Emma began the walk up the stairs to the third floor. The elevator was out of order again. Regina often complained about that.

Emma's legs felt all heavy when she made it up to the familiar blue door and the sign on the door saying, "_Regina Mills_". She used the second key in the little bundle to unlock the door and pushed it open. The apartment was dark and quiet. Which was pretty eerie. Regina almost always had the radio switched on. Including when she showered. Then she brought the radio into the bathroom with her and happily (and loudly) sang along to the music until the woman living upstairs knocked on the floor and yelled at her in Spanish. Emma had laughed about that many, many times.

But tonight no radio was playing, and there was no Regina to break the silence by laughing or singing. Emma was alone in the apartment. She had not tried that before, and she could immediately conclude that she did not like it one bit. The apartment was nice, but it lacked its usual warm and soul when Regina wasn't here.

Emma pulled herself together and reminded herself that she would see Regina almost first thing tomorrow. With flowers and chocolate. Lots of chocolate. She wiggled her shoes off, dragged her body over to the old leather couch and then collapsed onto it. The couch creaked offended, but Emma did nothing to spare its feelings as she slung her legs over the armrest. "Oh man," she muttered to herself. "What a night!" yes, what a night indeed. Emma could have fallen asleep right then and there, but there was one more thing she needed to do before that could happen. She had to call Cora Mills and tell her EXACTLY what had happened tonight. And then she would give her an ultimatum. Show up at the hospital and prove herself worthy to be Regina's mother. Earn herself a spot in her daughter's life. Or don't show up at all but then guarantee that she never would bother Regina again. Emma did not like Cora Mills one bit, but she hoped that the older Mills would choose the first option. Because Regina needed her mother. She needed to share this experience with her mother. Once again, Emma silently wondered how the hell a mother so easily could choose to turn her back on her pregnant daughter? Walk out on her when she needed her the most. Cora Mills was one twisted woman. And Emma would tell her that. In a more polite manner, but nevertheless...

Emma yawned loudly as she found her phone in her pocket. The text from Henry with Cora's number was the first thing she saw when tapping the screen. "This should be interesting," she muttered to herself as she pressed the number and chose 'call'. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she one day would end up calling Cora Mills. Where WAS Cora even? New York? Spain? Somewhere else? Emma didn't know. But if Cora was in Spain, the phone call would possibly be an inconvenience if Cora wasn't a night-owl. And if she was in New York, the phone call would be even more of an inconvenience. And Emma felt pretty much at peace with that. Saw no reason to wait until tomorrow morning. Regina was Cora's daughter. It was only natural that the immediate family was informed right away of what had happened. Emma didn't give two shits if a phone call in the middle of the night would startle Cora. She deserved to be at least a little bit startled. And there was a good chance that she would react to this late night call from an unknown caller.

Emma brought the phone up to her ear and waited. Dialing tone. More dialing tone. Perhaps Cora Mills was the type of woman who put her phone on 'silent' during the night. Nahh. Thinking about it, Cora Mills was most likely the type of woman who woke up to answer an important lawyer-email in the middle of the night. And most likely with a snappy response too. Emma doubted she was more polite in writing than she was in words.

Emma was starting to get sleepy again, but she perked up when she heard some scrambling in the other end. So Cora Mills wasn't asleep. Emma's stomach tightened a bit. In a moment she was going to talk to the woman she had spent a lot of time on hating. Cora Mills. The ice queen that easily could intimidate Miranda Priestly. Cora Mills, the woman who had cost Regina much pain and grief but was a source of something missing in her life nevertheless. Was Emma putting her hands in wasps nest by calling her? Possibly. But she owed it to Regina to at least try. If this potentially could lead to a fresh start between mother and daughter, Regina would be so happy.

"_Hello_?" a sleepy and slightly raspy voice came in the other end. Definitely not Cora Mills' voice. Her voice was colder and more melodic in some way. Intimidating. Whereas this voice was raspier, lower, warmer and with a twang of country to it. Emma felt utterly confused. This _WAS_ Cora Mills' phone number, right? Or had Henry accidentally given her the wrong number? Emma found that hard to believe. She doubted Henry would confuse his ex-wife's number that easily. It seemed highly unlikely.

"_Hello_?" the unfamiliar voice asked again. More impatient and sleepy sounding now.

"Is this Cora Mills' number?" Emma asked, confusion growing with a hint of annoyance to it. She was not in the mood to play guessing games with some random woman. And she was not in the mood for apologizing for the inconvenience either.

"_Yes_," the woman said. "_It is. Who's this_?"

"Emma Swan," Emma said quickly. "I'd like to speak to Cora Mills, please." Enough with the dilly dally. She didn't call this number to be interrogated by some woman.

"_Are you aware what time it is_?" the woman complained.

"Yes. I am." Emma drew in a breath. "And I'd like to speak to Cora Mills, please. It's urgent."

The woman sighed in the other end. It was undoubtedly a huge inconvenience for her to put Cora Mills on the phone. "_Alright. Hold on for a moment, miss... what was it again?_"

"Swan," Emma said impatiently. "Emma Swan."

"_Right. Hold on_."

Emma gnashed her teeth at the woman's attitude. Why was she so dang rude? And more importantly, who was she even? Why the heck was some random woman answering Cora Mills' phone in the middle of the night? It didn't make a wink of sense to Emma. Absolutely no sense whatsoever. She heard the phone being put down on a hard surface. But with the microphone up, apparently, because Emma could hear what was going on in the other end. She heard shuffling. Rustling. Wait. Didn't that sound like... bed sheets? Wait, what? No. Now Emma's overtired brain was definitely making up stuff. She heard more shuffling in the other end, and then the unknown woman spoke again. Her voice was softer when she said: "_Cora? Cora, love, there's a phone call for you_."

Emma's jaw dropped. 'Love'? what the hell was even going ON?! Why would a strange woman speak so softly to Cora Mills and call her 'love? That did not make any sense.

Unless...

Emma's eyes widened. _Nooooo_. No. Way. Nu-uh. Not in a million fucking years! Anyone else perhaps, but not CORA MILLS.

"_A phone call_?" Cora asked muffled in the other end and not quite as sharp and intimidating as it normally was. "A phone call from whom? It is the middle of the night!"

"_Yes, I know. And I told her that, but she insisted that it was urgent_!"

"_Who is it then_?" Cora asked, voice a bit more sharp now. She sounded more like herself.

A yawn. "_The connection was a bit fuzzy, but I think she said that her name was Emma? Emma... Some animal surname, maybe?_"

"_Swan_?" Cora suggested, and Emma heard the hint of panic in her voice. "_Did she say that her name was Emma Swan_?"

"_Yes, that's it. Emma Swan_."

There was silence in the other end, and Emma struggled to pick up her jaw from the floor. There was no reason to speculate further because this was _EXACTLY_ what it sounded like. This woman and Cora was...

"_Oh_," the unknown woman said in the other end. "_Oh god. Emma Swan is the woman who's with your-_"

"_Hand me the phone, please_," Cora interrupted and sounded... defeated.

"_Cora, honey, I am so sorry, I didn't think-_"

"_Just give me the phone, please._"

The unknown woman didn't say anything else. Emma just heard some shuffling as the phone was picked up. Then Cora's voice saying: "_Cora Mills speaking_."

"Hello, Cora, this is Emma Swan," Emma said, pretending that she had not just overheard the entire conversation between Cora and the unknown woman.

"_Miss Swan_," Cora said tightly, but still with a hint of defeat to her voice. Even if she did not know that Emma had overheard the entire conversation between her and the other woman, she still knew that Emma had been greeted by another woman answering Cora's phone in the middle of the night. And that was enough to make anyone wonder. "_To what do I owe the pleasure?_" she asked.

"I'm aware that it's late," Emma couldn't resist to say before reminding herself that she did not call to pick a fight with Cora Mills. "But this is important." She drew in a breath, quickly gathering her thoughts before jumping into explaining the traumatic events that had happened earlier tonight.

"_Yes_?" Cora asked a tad impatiently. "_What is it then, miss Swan_?"

"I'm calling to inform you that your daughter was pushed down a flight of stairs by Marian earlier," Emma said calmly and coldly. "She fell unconscious and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. She has a grade three concussion and a broken ankle, but overall she's been lucky all things considered. She didn't hurt her back or neck. And Blueberry is fine too."

"_Blueberry_?" Cora repeated in the other end. She sounded a bit different now. Almost like her voice was lacking some of its usual bite and coldness.

"Oh, right, the baby," Emma corrected. "Yeah, that's what Regina and I call him."

There was a moment of silence. Then: "_him_?"

Oh. Another cock-up. "Well, it could be a girl," Emma said lightly. "But we have a hunch it's a boy. I'm not sure why. That's just what we think."

"_I see_. _Well, thank you for informing me, miss-_"

"This is your last chance, you know," Emma interrupted, rudeness be damned.

"_My last chance to what, exactly?_" Cora asked, voice tight again.

"To prove yourself worthy," Emma said simply. "Come to the hospital and see her. Prove that you're still her mother."

"_I doubt that would be a good idea. Regina has made it quite clear that she does not want me in her life, miss Swan_."

"We both know what kind of person Regina is, Cora," Emma said. "The kind of person who has a ridiculously big heart. The kind of person who's extremely capable of forgiving. And especially those who admits to have wronged her. Do you think you've wronged your daughter?"

A beat of silence. Cora Mills was fiddling with something in the other end. Only her breath could be heard in the other end for a moment. Then: "_I don't think you're in any position to ask me that, miss Swan_."

"Probably not," Emma agreed with her. "But who else is gonna ask you? You ignore the calls from Henry, and Regina thinks that you hate her."

"_How dare you-_"

"It's the truth!" Emma interrupted. "She does. But is she right, Cora? Do you hate your daughter?"

Cora Mills swallowed audibly. "_No. Of course I don't hate my daughter. That's a silly thought to entertain. Regina has always been a silly girl._"

"Or maybe her mother has done nothing to assure her that the opposite is the case?" Emma suggested. "Prove her wrong, Mrs. Mills. Let her know that the opposite is the case. Come and see her at the hospital."

"_My daughter does not need me, miss Swan. She has made that clear an abundance of time. She has her father. She always has her father. He's always been her favorite._"

Was that jealousy? Emma floundered. Was Cora Mills jealous because of the close bond between Regina and her father? But wasn't Cora the one to blame for that? Wasn't she the one who had pushed Regina away? Who had pushed both Regina AND Henry away? And for what reason exactly? Emma felt like she might have discovered the reason behind it, but oh, what a tangled web this was!

Then she remembered that Cora was waiting for an answer, and she quickly collected herself. "True, and Henry's great. But nevertheless, he was not the one she asked for in the ambulance when she afraid and in pain. She was asking for YOU, Cora," Emma said and tried to keep the emotions out of her voice. "When she wasn't confused because of the concussion, she was asking her mother."

"_I_-"

"Regina is very, very mature, you and I both know that," Emma interrupted. "But at that moment, when she was in pain and scared of suffering a miscarriage, she was asking for the one thing every little girl needs when they're afraid. Their mom."

Cora didn't say anything in the other end, and Emma wasn't certain, but it sounded like the older woman's breathing had changed a bit.

"Come to the hospital," Emma gently repeated. "Come and see her. Be there for her. Earn yourself a spot in her life." _and in your grandchild's_. Emma didn't say that out loud. She had already decided not to tell Cora that Regina was going to keep the baby.

"_And what makes you so sure Regina will let me back into her life? How can you possibly guarantee me that?_"

"I can't," Emma shrugged lightly. "Nothing's certain in this world, Cora. Had things gone differently, Regina could have lost the baby tonight. But she didn't. Maybe it's not too late for you to get a second chance either. But there's only one way to find out. By coming to the hospital and seeing her. Earn her forgiveness."

Another beat of silence. Cora Mills said absolutely nothing, and Emma had a feeling that a hand had just been put over the microphone. Was Cora Mills getting emotional in the other end? Emma found that very, very hard to imagine. But she wasn't one to judge. The most closed of people were often those who held the strongest emotions.

"_Are you going to tell my daughter about this?_" Cora asked gruffly, voice hoarse and thick.

Emma didn't need to ask what 'this' was. She already knew. "Goodbye, Cora," she said instead of answering. "I'm sorry for bothering you this late. I truly hope you'll make the right choice. Otherwise you'll lose her for good. And honestly, I can't think of a fate worse than that. And I know because I was afraid of losing her permanently tonight, and it absolutely destroyed me. Goodnight."

Emma hung up. Maybe that last part had been too crass, but she was tired. And she needed to make Cora understand what was at stake here. Emma put the phone onto the coffee table and rubbed her face tiredly. Had she just accidentally solved a mystery? The mystery that was Cora Mills. As Emma sat with her face buried in her hands, she remembered what Regina had said about her mother. That she never had seemed happy in her marriage with Henry. That it had not mattered what Henry had done, Cora was still dissatisfied. At the time, Emma had written it off as bitchiness because she had met Cora and knew what kind of woman she was, but suppose bitchiness wasn't the entire explanation to Cora's behavior? What it that really had been the behavior of a woman stuck in a marriage she had never wanted to be in in the first place? And what was it that Regina had said? That Henry and Cora got married because Cora was pregnant. Who had pushed Cora to marry Henry? Not Henry. Emma doubted that Henry was capable of pushing anyone. Cora's own mother perhaps? Yes. That made sense. What if Cora's mother had forced Cora to marry Henry because Cora was pregnant? And what if Cora had felt trapped and unhappy in the marriage because... because... Emma let out a disbelieving puff of air. _Because Cora was gay_.

"Holy shit," Emma muttered to herself. It seemed completely ridiculous, and normally, Emma wasn't very keen on labelling people. But in this case, the answer was quite literally staring her in the face. Cora had been terribly angry at Regina when she found out about her daughter's relationship with Daniela. Cora had called Regina's relationship with Emma 'a sin'. Cora had seemed a caricature of a homophobic person. But sometimes homophobia covered for other feelings, Emma knew that. Sometimes homophobes were secretly homosexual themselves.

The wheels in Emma's head was turning. She thought of Cora's anger when she found out that Regina and Daniela were together. Had that only been anger because the maid had 'seduced' Regina? Or had Cora in fact been jealous? Jealous because Regina dared being herself when Cora could not? Yes. That did in fact make sense, but...

"Hold on, hold on," Emma muttered to herself and squeezed her eyes shut. God, it was too late to figure all of this out! But now she couldn't stop again. The wheels in her head kept turning and turning. She thought of Cora's supposed affair with the waiter. The affair that seemingly had lead to the divorce between Cora and Henry. Nah. There had been no affair. It had been a smoke screen. Emma thought it through one more time. What was it that Regina had said? That Cora had told Henry that she'd been having an affair with one of the waiters? Yes. That was what Cora had told her husband. But had anyone ever actually seen Cora and the waiter together? Nope. The only proof was what Cora had told her husband. Henry was so trustful. And Cora most likely excellent at lying. She had probably come up with a long and authentic sounding story about how she and the waiter had gotten together. Henry had no reason not to believe her. And that was all Cora needed. Cheating was the most common reason that a marriage fell apart. All Cora needed to do was convince her husband that she had cheated. And she most likely had. Just not with a man.

"Huh," Emma said, dumbfounded as everything suddenly clicked and fell into place in her mind. However impossible it sounded, she had figured Cora Mills out. She had been let in on a major secret even though it hadn't been on purpose. Cora Mills was gay. Cora Mills was seeing a woman. A woman she was desperate to keep a secret from everyone. Including Regina. Cora was afraid that Emma would tell Regina about it.

Emma pursed her lips. Cora hadn't exactly made the best impression. She didn't like Cora one bit. Regina was the one Emma was loyal to. They did not have secrets or keep things from each other. But... Emma would never dream of outing someone. Not in a million years. This was not her secret to tell. It was Cora's. And Cora was clearly afraid that Emma would tell Regina. Perhaps Cora was ashamed of herself. Perhaps she was a tough mother because that was how she had been raised by her own mother. Perhaps there had been a 'Daniela' in Cora's life too. Or perhaps this mysterious woman Emma had talked to WAS her 'Daniela'.

No. Emma shook her head. She would not tell Regina about this. For once, she would keep something from Regina. And hope that Cora would tell her daughter herself. Emma imagined that Regina would get shocked. But not angry. Perhaps that was what Cora was afraid of. That Regina would get angry because of the close relationship with her father. Shit. There was more depth to Cora Mills than Emma ever could have imagined. Emma ran her fingers through her hair. She would keep her mouth shut about this. And hope that Cora made the right decision. That she came to the hospital to see Regina. Talked to her. Explained everything to her. The truth about the divorce. Regina could handle the truth.

"Jesus Christ on a bicycle!" Emma exclaimed loudly. Her head was quite literally creaking. This night had been a roller coaster. And it wasn't over yet. She had to call her parents and fill them in on what had happened. With a head that was still spinning, Emma grabbed her phone anew and dialed her mom's number. She had trouble concentrating while waiting for either of her parents to pick up. The only thing she could think about was what she had discovered tonight. That she quite literally by accident had discovered Cora Mills' secret. So many little details were dancing around in Emma's head. All the little things Regina had told her. That she never had seen her parents be affectionate in anyway. That Cora never had seemed the least bit in love with Henry. Good god, how everything made sense now! It was like finding the last piece for a puzzle or something.

As Emma sat there and waited for her mom (or dad) to pick up, she felt something she never thought was possible. She felt sorry for Cora Mills. Genuinely sorry. Because nobody deserved being trapped in the metaphorical closet. Nobody deserved faking being something or somebody they were not. Why had Cora stayed in the marriage so long, Emma wondered. Why hadn't she divorced Henry years earlier? Considering the thousand reasons behind Cora's actions made Emma even more dizzy, and she decided to let it rest for tonight.

She let her head fall back against the arm rest for a moment. Closed her eyes tight and waited for the room to stop spinning. It was like her brain was working extra hard right now or something. She was developing a headache. And a bad headache too. She rubbed a hand over her cheek. Palmed her forehead. What a night. What a crazy, crazy night! First Regina's tumble from the stairs and now this secret she unknowingly had stumbled upon by accident. Emma let out a bark that wasn't quite a laugh, but more a sound of utter disbelief and surprise.

Seriously, if she thought more about it, there was a risk that her brain would explode. It was already overheated enough from worrying about Regina. Thinking about Cora and the mystery woman in her life would lead to acute overloading, and-

"_Emma? Is there any news?_" her mom's brisk voice came in the other end. The words were almost a bit sharp because Mary Margaret was worried.

"_Regina is okay_," Emma said quickly. "_I mean, she has a grade three concussion and a broken ankle, so she's not REALLY fine, but considering that she could have injured her spine or her neck, I think she's been really, really lucky_!"

"_Oh, thank GOD!_" Mary Margaret breathed in the other end. "_And... And the baby? Is the baby okay_?!"

"The baby is fine," Emma said, smile going goofy and voice softening. "I heard his heartbeat and saw him on the screen. He was waving and everything. He's a resilient little one."

"_He must be_," Mary Margaret said, she too had started calling Blueberry 'he'. Her voice was muffled and directed away from the phone as she shouted: "_David! It's Emma! Regina is okay! And so is the baby_!"

"_Thank god_!" David called from a distance. "_That is wonderful news, Emma_!"

Emma laughed. It truly was. And there was more good news to come!

"_Where is she now, honey?"_ Mary Margaret asked.

"_She's still in the hospital_. _They're keeping her in for observation because of the concussion and the pregnancy and all. She was doing better when I talked to her. A bit groggy, but better. She even wanted to go home. She got pretty mad when the nurse said she couldn't_," Emma chuckled to herself upon remembering the disgruntled look on Regina's pretty face.

Mary Margaret chortled. "_I'm so relieved, honey. I was so worried about her. And the baby._"

"Yeah, so was I. But she's okay. They're okay. And..." Emma could barely contain herself now. "Speaking of baby..." she stalled for a moment, considering how she best could break the news to her parents.

"_Yes?_" Mary Margaret encouraged. "_What about the baby, sweetie_?"

"Well, there's been a development," Emma started. Really, the best way to break this was simply by telling it.

"_Oh? What kind of development? The baby is okay, right? You just said that he's alright, honey_."

"And he is," Emma quickly assured. "He's as fine as a fiddle. It's not about his health. It's about Regina. She's... She's changed her mind."

Mary Margaret was silent for a moment. But Emma was not worried. She knew that her mom was simply processing what Emma just had said. That was all.

Then Mary Margaret's voice came through the phone once more. Her voice was very soft now: "_changed her mind as in_...?"

"Yeah," Emma said, confirming what her mom already knew. "She wants to keep the baby. She's going to be a mom. And... So am I. I know it sounds pretty wild, and I suppose it kind of is, but at the same time it isn't. I love Regina. She asked me if I wanted the baby like she wants him, and of course I do. You already know that. You saw it before I did. I love both of them. The idea of having to say goodbye to Blueberry was killing me. And Regina realized that she doesn't wanna loose him either. We're doing this. We're having a baby together." Emma's chin wobbled a little by the time she finished her little speech, and her chest was filled with warmth as she thought about that grainy image of Blueberry waving on the screen.

"_Oh, Emma_," Mary Margaret whispered.

"_Kiddo_..." David murmured.

Emma chuckled. "Yup. That's where it's at, old man. Your little girl is having a baby. How about that?"

"_Emma, this is WONDERFUL news_!" Mary Margaret exclaimed so loud Emma had to move the phone away from her ear. "_I am so, so happy for the both of you! You're going to have a baby_!"

"Yep," Emma grinned from ear to ear. "We sure as hell are."

"_And we're going to have a grandbaby_," David laughed in the other end.

"_Oh my goodness_!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, now nearly screeching in Emma's ear. "_David, we're going to have a grandchild! Our first grandchild! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness_!"

"Mom, you're making me deaf," Emma laughingly protested. "It's late and I'm about to keel over from exhaustion. Dial it down a little, please."

"_I am jumping on the next plane to Madrid to hug Regina_!" Mary Margaret vowed.

"I'm sure she'd love that," Emma chuckled. She knew that her mom was joking. "You can give her that hug when she comes to Storybrooke again. And in the meantime, you can help me figure out how to tell Ruby and Belle this..."

Obviously, both David and Mary Margaret was full of good suggestions, and as tempted as Emma was to postpone the talk with her friends until tomorrow, she decided that she better had to do it right then and there. Ruby and Belle would never forgive her if she kept them in the dark for a longer period of time. So she concluded the conversation with her overexcited parents. Left her mom to wonder about buying yarn to knit baby clothes and said goodbye after having apologized for waking them. Then she dialed Ruby's number and waited. Ruby would most likely be annoyed because Emma was calling her in the middle of the night. Or maybe she and Belle were still up doing god knows what... Emma made a face. Nope, she did not want to think about that. At all. She yawned as she waited for her friend to pick up. Was selfish enough to hope that Ruby wouldn't pick up. Then they could talk tomorrow instead. And Emma could finally, finally go to bed and get the sleep she had so deserved. That would be just-

"_Hello? Swannie? Why the fuck are you calling me in the middle of the night?! Jesus!_"

Emma laughed. "Hi, Ruby. Sorry for the late hour, but I have something pretty important to tell you. Is Belle with you right now?"

"_Weird question, but yeah, she is_," Ruby replied and yawned.

"Great. Then wake her."

"_What? Are you serious?_"

"Yeah, this is something I need to tell both of you. Wake her. Please."

"_Alright, alright..." shuffling in the other end, and then Emma could hear: "Belle? Babe? Emma's on the phone. She wants to talk to us_."

"Urgh," came Belle's voice. "Now? It's the middle of the night!"

"_Yeah, so I noticed. Sorry. But she insisted that I woke you for some reason_."

"_I don't hope something's wrong_," came Belle's worried voice.

"_No, me neither. Let's find out what this is about_." Ruby's voice came closer. "_Em? You still there_?"

"Yep, I'm still here," Emma confirmed.

"_Alright, I'm just gonna put you on speaker. Hold on_."

"Will do."

More shuffling. Then Belle's voice: "_hey, Emma. What's going on_?"

"Many things, to be honest," Emma said and took a deep breath to prepare herself to tell the same story she had already told twice tonight. "Earlier tonight, Marian showed up at the bar where Regina works. She found out that Regina is pregnant."

"_Oh fuck_!" Ruby exclaimed.

"_Good god_!" Belle agreed.

"She got pissed and followed me and Regina upstairs to where the staff keeps their things," Emma continued. "When we opened the door, there she was. She started yelling at Regina and wanted to know who the father was. Regina said that she didn't know. I think she was trying to minimize the conflict or something, but Marian didn't believe her. She kept getting more and more angry, and she..." Emma swallowed harshly. "She ended up making Regina fall down the flight of stairs."

"_WHAT?! Are you fucking kidding me?!_"

"_Oh my god, Emma! Is Regina okay?! And what about the baby?! Is the baby okay?!_"

"Regina was taken to the hospital in an ambulance," Emma said and had to raise her voice in order to be heard over her friend's concern. "She was... pretty delirious and scared. It was... Well, it was pretty terrifying, actually..." Emma trailed off for a moment and cleared her throat. "She was examined at the hospital. I wasn't allowed to see her for a while, so I called her dad and told him what had happened. I also called my parents. Henry was pretty quick to show up at the hospital. And fortunately enough, we didn't have to wait that long before the doctor came. She told us that Regina has a grade three concussion and a broken ankle. But she was lucky. She was really, really lucky. And the baby is alright too."

Ruby released a puff of air. "_Thank fucking god!_"

"_What about Marian?_" Belle asked sharply. "_What's going to happen to her?_"

"The police showed up," Emma told her friends. "And I hope they took her with them because there were so many witnesses in the bar who saw what she did! I hope she'll go to fucking prison forever! That's what she deserves after what she did to Regina! She could have made Regina seriously injure herself in the fall! She could have made her miscarry!"

"_God, Em,_" Ruby said, voice soft now. "_What a night you've had. You must be completely exhausted_."

"I am," Emma confirmed. "And I should probably get some sleep. Henry is picking me up early so we can visit Regina. They kept her in the hospital for observation overnight."

"_Then you should get some sleep,_" Belle said gently in the other end.

"I will," Emma promised. "There's just one more thing I need to tell you guys."

"_Okay_," Ruby said lightly and slightly curious. "_Shoot._"

Emma took a deep breath and felt a grin spread across her face. "Regina is not gonna give the baby up for adoption. She's going to keep it. Him. Her. Doesn't matter. Anyway, she's gonna keep it. She's gonna be a mom. And so am I. She asked me if I wanted the baby too, and of course there was only one answer for that. We're going to raise this baby together, and I really hope you'll be happy for me and not be skeptical even though it might be a little unconventional. I get that Regina and I haven't been together for very long, but this is what we want, this is what feels right for us, so just-"

"_Emma_!" Ruby interrupted, laughing heartedly. "_You're rambling_."

"I am," Emma acknowledged and could hear Belle chuckle somewhere. "It's late. I'm sorry."

"_This is great news_," Belle said softly. "_It's wonderful news, Emma. I'm so happy for you and Regina!_"

"_Yeah, me too,_" Ruby chirped in. "_I mean, obviously it's a bit of bombshell in the middle of night, being informed that your best friend is going to have a baby all the sudden, but I'm rolling with it._"

Emma laughed. She was happy that her friends didn't think she was crazy.

"_Emma Swan as a mom,_" Ruby chuckled. "_Someone's growing up, huh?_"

"_In the best possible way,_" Belle added. "_I know how upset you were that Neal didn't want to have kids._"

"I was," Emma agreed. "But now I'm relieved that we didn't have any children. Neal was not the person I was meant to start a family with. Regina is."

"_You're scaring me, Em_," Ruby half-joked. "_You sound so grown up._"

"Well, I suppose you have to grow up at least a little when you're having a baby," Emma said lightly.

Belle chuckled. "_Now we get to a new baby to pamper._"

Emma grinned. She did not doubt for a moment that Ruby and Belle would indeed pamper the new baby.

"_Have you told your parents yet?_" Ruby asked.

"I have. And my mom nearly hit the ceiling from excitement," Emma laughed. "She screeched in my ear. I'm surprised I can even hear what you're saying."

"_So they were excited about becoming grandparents, huh?_"

"Yup, you can say that again." Emma got that warm fuzzy feeling once more. Grandparents. Her mom and dad would become the baby's grandma and grandpa. Just like Henry was to become a grandfather. Ruby and Belle would become devoted aunts. If there was one thing this baby would never lack, it was family. The only little fracture in the family picture was Cora. She didn't even know that Regina would keep the baby. She didn't know that she was to become a grandmother. It was not Emma's place to tell her that. She had only informed Cora about the accident like she and Henry had decided. And stumbled upon a major plot twist in the process. But that was not something Emma would tell. It was Cora's secret. It was up to her to decide if she wanted to tell Regina the truth or not. Emma was not about to out someone.

"_Emma? Are you still there?_"

Emma snapped out of it upon hearing Belle's voice. "Yeah, sorry, I'm here."

"_I was just asking how your plans about moving to California fits into all this?_" Belle asked.

Oh. Emma hadn't thought about that. She had been much to focused on the fact that she was going to have a baby with Regina. "I'm not sure at the moment," she admitted. "But I'll figure it out."

"_Of course you will,_" Ruby said. "_You always do. And now I think you should get some sleep. You're exhausted._"

"Yeah, I think I'll go to bed. Sorry for waking you."

"_That's totally fine. Send us plenty on updates on Regina and the little one tomorrow. Goodnight!_"

Emma said goodnight and hung up. Then she went to bed. At last. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow...

**To Be Continued...**


	48. Chapter 48

She was up early the next morning. Took a shower and did not wait for the water to get warm. Dressed in denim shorts and a tanktop. Wrenched the water out of her long hair and tied it back in a ponytail. Added a dash of mascara to her eyes just to make sure Regina wouldn't get scared of her when she arrived at the hospital. Emma didn't exactly look awake and alert. She had dreamed a lot about staircases and Regina falling from them and injuring herself in the most horrid way possible. But she had also dreamed about Cora and a faceless, nameless woman slinking away in the shadows where nobody could see them. Yeah, it had been an intense night to say the least.

In the kitchen, Emma treated herself to a bowl full of Regina's favorite strawberry yoghurt. She had eaten a lot of that lately. Emma suspected that it was a new craving. She hoped that the hospital had plenty of strawberry yoghurt to offer. God forbid Regina should be denied anything.

When she had eaten her breakfast, Emma went back to the bathroom and brushed her teeth until they were almost sparkling, and her gums ached slightly. But it was worth it. Her breath smelled excellent, and that was the intention. She did not want to kiss Regina while having foul breath. Regina deserved better than that.

With her morning routine taken care of, all there was left to do was wait until Henry showed up. Emma ended up switching the television on. She shamelessly hawked Regina's Netflix account and ended up watching half an episode of _Gilmore Girls _(Regina had clearly been in the middle of a mini-marathon before coming to Storybrooke), before she was distracted by the lights of a car outside. Emma walked over to the window and spotted Henry's big Mercedes holding parked right outside. He was early. Good. Emma preferred arriving at the hospital early. She switched off _Gilmore Girls, _grabbed her bag and then rushed out of the apartment. Obviously, remembering to lock the door behind her. The last thing Regina needed, was unwelcome visitors in her apartment while she was in the hospital.

Out on the street, Emma reunited with Henry who apologized for being early. Emma smiled and said that it was completely fine.

"You probably could have used a few more hours of sleep," Henry continued. "But I thought that we could go to the flower store early so all the nice bouquets doesn't get nicked."

"That's a great idea," Emma applauded. She was planning on buying the biggest bouquet of roses she could possibly get. She hopped into the car and off they went.

Henry looked a bit more awake today. His hair was brushed, and he was not wearing a pajama shirt this time. They laughed about that. He asked if Emma had contacted Cora, and Emma told him that she had. She did not give Henry any details though. Just explained that it was up to Cora now...

They arrived at the hospital, armed with two very large bouquets of flowers. Henry had bought daisies for his daughter, and Emma was nearly toppling over under the weight of the almost ridiculously oversized bouquet of red roses. The biggest one the flower store had to offer. The shop assistant had smiled in a particular way that suggested she thought that Emma might have fucked up since she bought such a huge bouquet. Emma had not had the time to correct the wrong assumption. She had just taken her flowers and left. But flowers wasn't the only thing she had bought. No, she had also bought a cute little teddy bear with a bright smile and little pink red sweater saying: "_Mi amor_". Most fitting indeed.

Emma and Henry made it to the hallway where Regina's hospital room was, and Emma was immediately startled when the door was opened, and two uniformed policemen emerged. They smiled at both Emma and Henry and wished them a good morning. Emma and Henry returned the greeting but shared concerned looks with one another. What had the police wanted? Had it been about Marian? Emma hoped so. She hoped the officers had come to the hospital to tell Regina that Marian was in prison and wouldn't see the light of day for a very, very long time!

"_¿Qué estás haciendo ahí? ¡Por favor, deja de saltar sobre mi vejiga_!" Regina's voice came from the hospital room, and Henry chuckled quietly.

Emma immediately relaxed some. If Henry was laughing, what Regina had said was not something alarming.

"_Por favor_," Regina muttered. Emma heard her sigh before continuing: "good god, _cariño_, stop using my bladder as a squeeze toy!"

Oh. Now Emma grinned too. Blueberry was clearly up to no good.

Regina huffed from behind the closed door. "You're still doing it, _cariño_. How am I supposed to make you do as I say when you get here, when you don't even obey me now?"

Emma was highly amused now. She couldn't deny that. And Henry was chuckling too. He was relieved, and so was Emma. She was relieved that Regina remembered what she had said about wanting to keep the baby. Her decision was still the same today when she was less woozy. Thank god. And hearing Regina talk to the baby was so wonderful. She was talking about when he arrived. Was it too early in the morning to get emotional? Emma sure as hell could have gotten emotional if Regina had said more sweet stuff to the baby. And if Henry fortunately enough hadn't prevented it from happening.

"Should we get in there?" He kindly suggested and flashed Emma a smile.

Emma nodded. Returned the smile her lovable father-in-law was sending her, and put a hand on the doorknob. Gently pushed it open and peeked inside the room.

Regina was sitting propped up with lots of pillows behind her back in the hospital bed. Her hair had clearly been brushed and tidied a little. She had her head sort of bowed so Emma couldn't see her face. What was she looking at? The cast on her right foot or her belly? Emma wasn't sure, but she was very interested in knowing. She jokingly knocked on the open door. "Knock-knock, beautiful girl."

"Emma!" Regina turned her head and looked up, and Emma had to bite back a shocked gasp. Regina's right cheekbone had swelled up as though she had been stung by a wasp and not taken a fall down the stairs. Her lip had swelled up as well, and there was a very visible cut above the right side of her lip. It looked like something had sliced through the skin and the lip itself. Regina's upper lip was all swollen because of it, and Emma inadvertently cringed. It looked really sore and painful. And it looked like the type of wound that could leave a permanent scar. Emma felt another surge of anger towards Marian. Fuck her! Just... fuck her!

Regina also had purple/black markings around her right eye. The skin had swelled up, and Emma's squeezed the bouquet a little tighter. Regina looked like she had been fucking beat up! Literally. She looked like someone had punched her in the face repeatedly.

Emma's hands shook slightly around the bouquet. Maybe she should just run to the police station and kick Marian's ass real quickly! God, how she wanted to! Ohh, how she wanted to!

"_Cielo_," Henry murmured, distracting Emma from her murderous vendetta thoughts. He too was openly shocked at the way Regina looked.

Regina's smile paled and her face fell. "I know I look terrible," she muttered, bowing her head, and hiding under her hair.

Oh. Hell. No. "You do NOT!" Emma said immediately, cursing her reaction. She rushed to Regina's side, bouquet dangling from one hand as she gently pushed Regina's hair away with her other hand so she could see her properly. "You never look terrible, sweetheart. Not ever!"

"I look awful," Regina muttered, fiddling with her hair and clearly trying to hide her bruises and injuries.

"You don't!" Emma said very, very firmly. "You're beautiful. Always."

"You don't mean that," Regina said as she looked up again. Her eyes got some of their old spark back when she looked at the enormous bouquet of flowers dangling in Emma's arms. "Are those for me?"

"You bet," Emma confirmed, leaning in and giving Regina a very soft kiss on the cheek. The one that was not bruised.

"They're beautiful," Regina said softly. "And so are those, daddy! Thank you so much, both of you. You shouldn't have!"

"Bullshit," Emma said plainly, kissing Regina's cheek again. "But I see that someone beat us to it," she nodded towards the big bouquet of white lilies standing on the bedside table already. "Who sent you those?"

"My boss," Regina smiled. "Maybe he's afraid that I'll sue the staircase or something..."

Emma had a very good idea about whom Regina could sue, and it was not the staircase. She held her tongue though. She didn't want to spew venom as the first thing. She kissed Regina's cheek again. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay, I guess," Regina replied. "I'm tired and my ankle and head hurts, but apart from that, I'm okay. Less woozy than what I was last night. After you left, I got so dizzy it felt like one night where I got really dru-" she stopped talking and looked innocently up at her dad. "I've no idea what I'm saying. It's the concussion. Of course I never drink."

"Of course you don't," Henry laughed as he too bowed his head and kissed his daughter's cheek. "It's good to see that you haven't lost your sense of humor, _Cielo_."

Regina chuckled meekly.

A nurse came inside the hospital room and immediately offered to find a vase for the flowers. She snatched both bouquets, smiled and said: "it is nice to see you back here. I'm sure you will be able to cheer up _señorita _Mills. She deserves that after having a bit of a rough night."

Regina groaned as the nurse left the room with the flowers and mumbled: "it should be forbidden to run your mouth like that!"

Emma was immediately like a dog with a bone: "rough night?" she repeated, eyebrow raising. "What is she talking about, sweetheart?"

"I've no idea. You look pretty today."

"Cute, but not working," Emma scoffed and took Regina's hand. "Why did you have a rough night? What was she talking about?"

Regina sighed defeated. "I've been sick a few times during the night. The night nurse said it's because of the concussion. Good thing you weren't there. It was pretty, uhh... gross." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "And then I had a random crying fit at three AM. Because of the shock apparently." She shrugged lightly once.

"Oh, sweetheart," Emma said. Her heart broke for Regina.

"Oh _dios_, spare me the pity," Regina begged. "I've been pitied by the nurses all night."

"Alright, alright," Emma surrendered as Henry chuckled quietly.

Both Emma and Henry sat down in the nearby chairs, and Emma had to physically stop herself from fussing over Regina. Regina had just made it clear that she did not want any fussing.

"What did the police want, _Mija_?" Henry asked.

Emma nodded approvingly. She wanted to know that too.

"They wanted to talk about Marian," Regina said and made a face as she adjusted in the bed. "The story she's told the police fits the one my boss told. That she was the reason I fell down the stairs."

Emma's jaw tightened. "So she told the truth. Hurrah. Is she banged up in prison yet?"

"No," Regina said and rubbed her belly. "She was kept in a cell overnight to calm down, but she was picked up by her husband earlier this morning."

"Right," Emma said. She hadn't expected the police to actually keep Marian locked up, but still, she was angry. "And when are they pressing charges against her?"

"They're not."

"What?!" Emma growled. Now she could not hold the venom back a minute later. "Why the hell not?! She assaulted a pregnant woman, for fucks sake! She should be serving at least six months for that! What the hell is wrong with the police?! I'll have a talk with them if they don't-"

"Emma," Regina gently interrupted. "It's not the police's fault. They asked me if I wanted to press charge against Marian, and I said no."

Emma sputtered. "What?! _WHAT_?! Regina, honey, she made you fall down a flight of stairs! You have a concussion and a broken ankle because of her! You could have..." she couldn't even say it. She had to settle for placing a protecting hand on Regina's swelling belly.

"I know," Regina said simply and put her hand on top of Emma's.

"So she needs to pay for this!" Emma said, looking at Henry for support. He looked just as puzzled as she felt. "She deserves to ROT in prison for this!"

"Emma, please, you're making my head hurt."

"I'm sorry," Emma quickly apologized. "But honestly, Regina, you cannot let her get away with this!"

"Emma, she has a son," Regina said quietly. "She has a little boy. What do you think it will do to him if his mother were to go to prison? He would be confused and scared and traumatized. And stuck with Robin who isn't exactly the father of the year."

"Oh," Emma muttered. She hadn't thought of it in that way. She could see the sensible in what Regina was saying, but still, letting Marian get away with this was aggravating.

"So no, I'm not going to press charge against her," Regina said. "Instead I've asked for a restraining order from both of them. And-" she looked at her dad. "I need your help, daddy."

"Anything, _Mija_," Henry said. "Just say the word and its yours."

Regina smiled a little at that. "I need you to contact your lawyer and ask him to set up a document in which Robin signs off any parental rights he think he's entitled to. That's my price for not pressing charge against Marian for the assault. Robin has to sign the document. However, if he fails to do that... I WILL be pressing charge against Marian."

"I will call my lawyer," Henry announced as he got up from his chair. "Right away. Excuse me, Emma, _Mija_. I will be right back."

With that, he flung himself out of the door with his phone in hand.

"Damn," Emma said with a slight chuckle. "Your dad doesn't waste any time, does he?"

"No, he does not," Regina agreed and squeezed Emma's hand. "I know you want me to press charge against Marian, so she pays for what she did, but I'm not out searching for revenge, _querida_. I just want a quiet life with you and our baby."

Emma smiled softly. "You got it, future baby mama. I hear what you're saying." Yes, Emma would have enjoyed bringing Marian to justice once and for all, but she could see why Regina wanted to do it this way. She could see why Regina would prefer being left alone by Marian and Robin.

Regina snickered. "Is that who I am now? Baby mama?"

"Yup. That is exactly who you are," Emma smirked and brought Regina's hand up to her lips. Then she caressed Regina's growing belly with her free hand. "And how is our son doing this morning?" our son. Our son, our son, our son...

Regina's smile deepened. "He's dancing."

"Yeah?" Emma lowered her head and pressed a kiss to Regina's belly. "Keep dancing, kiddo!"

"Oh!" Regina exclaimed. "Emma, stop it! You're making him to crazy!"

Emma laughed and pressed another sneaky kiss to Regina's belly before raising her head again. She glanced at Regina's cast-bound foot. "How's the foot?"

"Tightly bandaged," Regina said with a slight shrug. I hope I'll still be able to dance when all of this is over..."

"I'm sure you will be, babe," Emma soothed.

Regina glanced at her bandaged foot. "You promised to write something on it."

"Oh yeah, so I did," Emma remembered. "That's right."

"Do it then," Regina teased and handed the pen laying on the little table next to the hospital bed.

"Yes ma'am," Emma chuckled, taking the pen from Regina, and moving to sit by her ankle. "It won't hurt when I scrawl on the cast though, will it?"

"It's wrapped up in what feels like five thousand layers of cast," Regina said dryly. "Scrawl away, _querida_."

And so Emma did. First, she drew a little heart. A dot supposed to represent Blueberry, and then she wrote: '_you, me and Blueberry_!' rather than having Regina move to see it, Emma opted for snapping a picture of it with her phone and showing it to Regina. "What do you think?"

"I love it," Regina smiled. "Scrawl something else."

Emma obeyed. This time she drew a little airplane followed by some wavy lines that was supposed to represent the ocean. Across the 'ocean' she drew another little airplane, and underneath the drawing she wrote: '_An Ocean Between Us_'. She took another picture and showed it to Regina. "What do you think about this?"

"I love it," Regina assured, still smiling. "It's very romantic, _querida_. And artistic."

"Thanks," Emma snorted. "If I fail as a photographer, I can become an artist instead."

Regina stretched slightly to be able to look at what Emma just had drawn on her cast. "I just wish it wasn't like that, though."

"What, sweetheart?" Emma asked softly.

"The... The ocean between us," Regina murmured. "It's already hard enough being away from you, but what about when the baby comes? I want him to get to know you as his mom. And how will he be able to do that with all that traveling back and forward? I'm afraid he'll get confused about everything, and I just-" she trailed off and rubbed her belly for a second. "_Lo siento. _I didn't meant to make you feel bad. I just want us to be together all the time. As a... as a family."

"Me, too." Emma looked at Regina for a long time. She wanted nothing more than to be with Regina all the time. She too wanted them to a family. A proper little family. And being proper family did not involve long distance and traveling back and forward all the time. The wheels in her head were turning again. Perhaps she was still overtired from last night. Perhaps that was the reason she suddenly heard herself blurting: "move to California with me."

Regina blinked. "_¿Qué?_"

"I mean it," Emma said, and even though she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, she did in fact mean every word. "Come to California with me, beautiful girl. I want to be with you too. Both of you. That's all I want, honestly. You, me, and the kid. Together. Come and live in a beach house with me. One that's big enough for three."

Regina blinked again.

"Okay, okay, so maybe it won't be that easy," Emma back-pedaled. "There's the whole visa and living permit issue, but we can figure that out, right? We can do whatever the fuck we want, can't we?" she truly believed that. Regina was here. She was okay. And so was Blueberry. Seriously, it had to be a sign of some sort. A sign to seize the day and jump head first into the future.

Regina smiled now. "_Sí_. We can."

Emma's heart started thudding. "Does that mean-"

"Yeah," Regina interrupted, eyes sparkling and grin widening. "What more is there for me in Spain? My dad is moving to California. You're moving to California. The further I'm getting away from Spain and Robin and Marian, the happier I'll be, so... I'm ready to leave. More than ready to leave. I think it's high time that we meet each other halfway. And California is that. Our halfway." She stretched her arms out towards Emma.

Emma immediately gave her a very gentle hug and kissed her cheek. She did not dare kiss Regina's swollen and sore looking lips. She didn't want to expose the woman she loved to more pain. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too, _querida_," Regina murmured as they parted. "Draw something more on my cast. If I'm going to wear it for the next six weeks ish, I want it covered in your art."

And so Emma grabbed the pen once again and began writing on Regina's cast anew. In huge block letters she wrote: '_READY FOR A NEW ADVENTURE_', and after some consideration, she wrote: '_United Under The Same Sky_'. It felt fitting. And that was her hope. That she and Regina sooner rather than later would indeed by united under the same sky. Then she felt dangerously close to getting sappy, and to make up for that, she started drawing smiley faces all over Regina's cast. "I told my parents," she told Regina. "About the baby."

"Yeah? And what did they say?" Regina inquired, cocking her head to the side and rubbing her belly again. Smiling a little. Maybe the baby was kicking again.

"They were overjoyed at the prospect of becoming grandparents," Emma said, carefully studying Regina's face as she said it.

Regina smiled beamingly once more and lovingly caressed her growing belly. "Well, that is what they're going to be."

Emma was just about to say something ridiculously sappy, Regina warned: "if you start crying, _querida_, so will I! I'm pregnant, remember?"

"Yeah," Emma chuckled. "I totally remember that." Oh, how she remembered! Regina was pregnant with their baby!

Regina lovingly caressed her belly. "Our baby."

"Our baby," Emma repeated. "I told Ruby and Belle too. They were happy for us."

"I'm happy for us too," Regina said softly. "_Muy contenta_. This... is the right thing. I might have been dizzy yesterday, but that hasn't changed anything. I still want him. More than I have ever wanted anything. Well, maybe except you."

"Now you can have us both," Emma smiled. "How about that?"

"Both," Regina repeated with a grin. "Both is good." She scratched her bandaged forehead slightly. Seemed to be wincing a little.

"How are you feeling?" Emma asked. "Like... honestly?"

"I feel fine."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You can lie to your father, beautiful girl, but you can't lie to ME."

Regina huffed. "Fine. I feel like I have the worst hangovers ever. Seriously, it wasn't even this bad that time I got drunk on tequila."

"You've been drunk on tequila?" Emma asked, tilting her head curiously.

Regina tapped the side of her nose. "A part of my dark past, _querida_."

Emma laughed. "Right. That sounds like a wild night."

"It was. I danced on the table. But no fun the next morning."

Emma laughed again, tempted to ask Regina more about that 'wild night' that apparently had included table dancing, but before she could, the door opened, and a different nurse stepped in with two large vases filled with the flowers for Regina.

"_Gracias_," Regina said, eyes sparkling as she looked at the flowers.

"_De nada. ¿Necesitas el baño?_"

"_No_," Regina said and wrinkled her nose slightly.

"_Bueno. Solo tengo que hacer esto. __Ten paciencia conmigo por un momento_," the nurse said as she came over to Regina and found a little light pen in her pocket.

Emma watched as the nurse shone the light in Regina's eyes for a brief moment. Then she nodded a bit to herself. But the little light pen back in her pocket and motioned for Regina to give her her hand.

Regina did so, and the nurse put two fingers on Regina's wrist while looking at her watch. She was checking Regina's pulse.

Emma applauded that. She applauded the nurse doing her job and taking care of Regina, but Regina did not seem to appreciate it all that much. She rolled her eyes, and if the nurse had not been there, Emma definitely would have accused her girlfriend of being cheeky. But she was delighted to see that. Delighted that Regina was acting more like herself.

"_Eso se ve bien. Regresaré más tarde_," the nurse smiled as she released Regina's wrist and left the room again.

Regina sighed and made a face. "I won't be allowed to go home tomorrow, will I?"

"Maybe not," Emma said gently. "But I'd rather want you to stay one more day and be annoyed by it rather than finding out that you're not okay when you're home."

"Stop making good points when I'm dissatisfied," Regina grumbled. "It's bad enough that I have to wheeled to the bathroom in a wheelchair. They don't really want me to walk around too much right now. But to be honest, I'm not even sure I can walk around right now." she sighed as she glanced at her cast-incased foot. "How am I supposed to juggle crutches AND a big belly?"

"Easy. You don't. I'll carry you around all the time," Emma said simply and shrugged lightly.

Regina let out a dry chuckle. "For six weeks? I don't think so, _querida._ I'll be twenty seven weeks pregnant by that time. I'll be HUGE."

"And beautiful," Emma goofily added. She couldn't wait to see Regina getting even more pregnant. Couldn't wait to hug Regina and feel the belly as the first thing.

"You'll be able to feel him then," Regina said and caressed her belly again. "At least I think so. It's a pity you can't feel him right now. He's bouncing around in there."

"Maybe he thinks it's a bouncy castle?" Emma innocently suggested.

Regina snorted in a matter that told Emma that she was not being funny at all. She scratched her bandaged forehead again. "The bandage is itchy," she complained. "But I think the doctor will take it off later."

"That's a good thing," Emma smiled.

Regina gave her swollen cheek a slight tap with her finger. "If only the swelling would go down. I look like I've been to war!"

"Well... In a way, you have, beautiful girl."

Regina flashed a small smile. "In that case I won, didn't I?"

"You did," Emma said. Under normal circumstances, she would not have categorized a busted ankle, a concussion and cuts and bruises all over as winning, but she understood what Regina meant. She had been given the opportunity to make Robin and Marian leave her alone for good. That was definitely winning.

Regina leaned back in the bed, stretched her neck a little to look at Emma. "Did you have a good night in the apartment, _mi amor_?"

"Fell asleep almost before I hit the pillow," Emma said truthfully.

"That's nice," Regina said. She fell silent for a moment as she looked at her cast-clad foot.

And Emma thought back to last night. Thought back to her startling conversation with Cora. Now was a good as time as ever. "Sweetheart?"

"Hm?" Regina replied, head snapping up.

Oh. Emma cringed. Regina had been on the brink of nodding off. Oops. "I... I talked to your- to Cora last night."

Regina's dark eyes widened. "You what?!"

Emma cringed harder. "I'm sorry. But I felt like she had to know about this."

Regina's mouth became a thin line. For a moment she actually looked quite a bit like Cora Mills herself. "Why on earth did you think that?"

"Because... Well, because you ended up in the hospital. You could have been seriously injured, and I guess... Well, I was pissed and needed to tell someone off."

Regina tilted her head. "You told Cora off?"

"I might have."

"You yelled at her? Oh _dios_, Emma-"

"I didn't yell at her," Emma interrupted. "I just gave her a piece of my mind, okay?"

Regina sighed. "And what did she have to say to that?"

"Not a lot. I guess you can say she thanked me for calling her," Emma said vaguely. Now she was getting on shaky ground. Getting dangerously close to the thing she could not say.

"Right. Well. I suppose my dad is the one who put you up to it," Regina said tonelessly.

"Err..."

"Isn't he?"

"Please don't yell at dad, okay?"

Regina scoffed. "I don't have the habit of yelling at daddy."

"Then please don't yell at me," Emma jokingly held her hands up in surrender.

Now Regina laughed a little. "I don't have the habit of yelling at you either, _querida_. Just don't do things behind my back, okay? Especially not if those things involves Cora. No secrets, okay?"

"No secrets," Emma said and felt so very guilty. It did not help that the secret she was keeping wasn't hers completely. She was still keeping something from Regina. And something huge too. To say that she felt conflicted was to put it lightly. She did not want to keep secrets from Regina. She wanted to be honest with her girlfriend at all times. But at the same time she would never dream of outing someone. And Cora Mills was not ready to come out. She was not ready to tell anyone about it. Once again, Emma thought about the mystery woman. Who was she? What was her name? How did she and Cora meet? Had they known each other for a long time or was it something new? Emma considered it. She didn't really believe that the thing between Cora and the woman was a new thing. The woman had called Cora 'my love'. That was serious. Yes. Cora and the mystery woman had a serious relationship. It couldn't be anything but. Cora Mills dating a woman. Emma still had trouble with wrapping her head around it.

"_Querida_? What are you thinking about?"

"Huh? Nothing," Emma said, hastily smiling at her girlfriend and grasping the pen again. "Do you want me to draw something else on your cast?"

"Yeah," Regina chuckled. "Of course."

Emma banished all thoughts about Cora Mills and her secret life and began drawing on Regina's cast again. This time she drew a happy little swan swimming in the ocean between the two planes. Regina laughed when she looked at the drawing. "That's perfect, _querida_. Very sweet. I'll have that tattooed someday."

"Oh god, don't," Emma chuckled. "It's a terrible drawing, honey!"

"No, it's not. It's sweet and perfect."

Emma had a different opinion about that, but she did not delve further into it. If Regina liked the drawing, then so be it. No reason to argue with her about it.

The door opened, and Henry came back inside. "I've called the lawyer, _Mija_," he announced. "He'll set up the document and have it delivered to-" his jaw tightened. "That man's address. You don't need to interact with *him* in any way. Just let the lawyer take care of it. He'll inform _el gilipollas_ of the terms of conditions. Everything will be written in the document, and if he doesn't want any trouble with the lawyer, he'll sign the paper."

Regina laughed. "Daddy, you just called Robin an asshole."

Emma spluttered in amusement.

"Don't say his name, _Mija_," Henry pleaded. "It makes me want to..." he did not finish the sentence. Instead he just opened and closed his fist.

Regina laughed again. "Thank you for calling the lawyer, daddy."

"_Lo que sea para ti, Mija_."

"You're sweet," Regina said to her father. "But guess what? I know that you and Emma have conspired about Cora behind my back."

Henry's face fell. His cheeks reddened and he looked like a little boy who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "_Mija_..."

"I know why you did it," Regina said, voice soft and non-confrontational. "You were worried. But please don't persuade Emma to contact Cora again."

"I offered," Emma said quickly.

"But it was my idea," Henry added. His cheeks were still a bit pink.

Regina snickered and shook her head a little. "Well, that makes you both equally guilty in my book. Shame on you."

"I'm sorry, _Mija_," Henry said. "I just wanted her to-"

"I know," Regina interrupted. "I know." She smiled at both her father and Emma. "I forgive you. This time."

"Thanks, honey," Emma half-joked. Phew. At least she wasn't in the dog house over this.

"I want to go home," Regina said plainly and glanced at her cast-incased foot. "I'm bored and the food isn't that good."

"They'll probably let you come home tomorrow, sweetheart," Emma soothed. "And then I'll totally pamper you and cook for you. And carry you around."

Regina made a face.

"I mean it," Emma threatened. "The elevator is out of order, so I'll be carrying you up the stairs to the third floor!"

"_Dios mio_," Regina clicked her tongue. "That's not gonna go well."

"Don't be silly. I'm pretty strong," Emma said confidently. "And you're pretty light, so..."

"'Light'?" Regina echoed and raised an eyebrow. "_Querida_, have you looked at me lately?"

"Yep. And you're absolutely gorgeous."

"Even decked out like a cage fighter?"

"Even decked out like a cage fighter," Emma confirmed.

Regina reached up and carefully touched her puffy cheek. "The next place I'm gonna live better not have any stairs!"

"It won't," Emma said confidently, smiling when thinking about the beach house she had imagined in her head a million times. A little white hut with flowy curtains and cream colored surfaces. Big windows and crystal blue water outside.

"No, it won't, will it," Regina smiled softly at her. She too was most likely thinking about that beach house. Then she looked at her father. "I'm moving to California with Emma," she told him.

Henry didn't get shocked or surprised. He merely returned the smile. "_Sí_, of course you are."

"When I can of course," Regina said practically. "It probably won't be that easy."

"But it'll be worth it," Emma softly added.

"Mmm," Regina turned her head and looked at her. "Of course it will."

Emma tossed the pen aside and came up to sit beside Regina once more. She took her hand, kissed her knuckles. Right now, this was all she needed. The only thing that mattered. Who knew what the future would hold? Ups and down, most likely. Regina having to learn how to walk on crutches. More trips across the ocean. Maybe Cora would come back into Regina's life. And perhaps she would even reveal the jaw-dropping secret she had kept hidden until now. Perhaps she would tell her daughter the truth at last. Regina would accept the truth, Emma already knew that. She would be shocked, of course she would, its not every day you find out that your mother is not what you expected her to be, but when the first shock had died down, she would accept Cora. And perhaps it wouldn't be too late for mother and daughter to come together and finally see eye to eye.

But until then, Emma knew exactly what she was waiting for. The birth of a most anticipated and loved child. Emma would be there for the birth, of course. She would be by Regina's side to hold her hand. Feed her ice chips and dab her forehead and offer encouragement. And she would be right there to swoon over the baby afterwards. How was she even supposed to leave Spain after the baby was born? She couldn't bear the thought. It was tempting to beg Regina to come to Storybrooke with her as soon as she got released from the hospital. She could stay in Storybrooke until the baby was born.

Emma smiled and her heart swelled. The baby would be doted on by his mommies and various grandparents and aunts. There would be trips to Storybrooke to show him off, she knew that, and she was amused at the thought of how her mom and dad would swoon upon seeing the baby. Would swoon upon knowing that Emma was a mother now.

"You look awfully sneaky, _querida_," Regina commented, and Emma noted that she was drawing circles on her belly now. "What are you thinking about?"

"The future," Emma said softly.

"Oh," Regina hummed. "And what are you thinking about your future, _mi _amor?"

"I'm thinking..." Emma bowed her head and kissed Regina's growing belly. Just because she could. "That it is going to be fantastic, beautiful girl."

"And Blueberry," Regina reminded her, and Henry chuckled softly.

"And Blueberry," Emma agreed, lifting her head and patting Regina's belly. "Never gonna forget about him," she assured, grinning again. She knew exactly what hopes she had for the future. That she and Regina and Blueberry would at last be united under the same sky. That there no longer would be an ocean between them...

**The End (for now)**

_Spanish translations:_

_¿Qué estás haciendo ahí? ¡Por favor, deja de saltar sobre mi vejiga!= __What are you doing there? Please stop jumping on my bladder!_

_Por favor= Please._

_¿Qué?= What?_

_Gracias= Thank you._

_De nada. ¿Necesitas el baño?= You're welcome. __Do you need the bathroom?_

_Bueno. Solo tengo que hacer esto. Ten paciencia conmigo por un momento= Good. __I just have to do this. Bear with me for a moment._

_Eso se ve bien. Regresaré más tarde= That looks good. __I will come back later._

_Lo que sea para ti, Mija= Anything for you._

_2021 is gonna be a great fanfiction year. We'll reunite with Emma, Regina and along the way Blueberry as they do what they can to finally be together all three of them. Cora will pop back into Regina's life again, and we'll meet her mystery woman at last ;)  
But another fanfiction will also be coming in 2021. If you are active in any of the great SwanQueen groups on Facebook, you know that I have been working on the companion story to 'To Hear Her Voice In The Silence. Regina's version of the story will be called 'To Find Her Voice In The Silence', and it will be uploaded in January. I know that's a bit of a long time to wait, so to warm up and get ready for Regina's POV, an epilogue to 'To Hear Her Voice In The Silence' is on its way. __Look out for December 1st ;)_

_Lots of love,_

_GentleRed_


End file.
